The  National 
Standard  Squab  Book 


_•  The   National 
Standard   Squab   Book 

By  ELMER   C.   RICE 

(Mail  address,  Post  Office  Box  175,  Boston,  Mass.,  U.  S.  A.) 


A  PRACTICAL  MANUAL  GIVING 
COMPLETE  AND  PRECISE  DIREC- 
TIONS FOR  THE  INSTALLATION 
AND  MANAGEMENT  OF  A  SUC- 
CESSFUL SQUAB  PLANT.  FACTS 
FROM  EXPERIENCES  OF  MANY 

HOW  TO  MAKE  A  PIGEON  AND  SQUAB 
BUSINESS  PAY,  DETAILS  OF  BUILDING, 
BUYING,  HABITS  OF  BIRDS,  MATING, 
WATERING,  FEEDING,  KILLING,  COOL- 
ING, MARKETING,  SHIPPING,  CURING 
AILMENTS,  AND  OTHER  INFORMATION 


Illustrated  with  New  Sketches  and  Half  Tone  Plates 

from  Photographs  Specially  Made 

for  this  Work 


BOSTON.  MASSACHUSETTS 
1914-1915 


Copyright' 
Copyright, 
Copyright, 
Copyright, 
Copyright, 
Copyright, 
Copyright, 
Copyright, 
Copyright, 
Copyright, 
Copyright, 
Copyright, 
Copyright, 


1901,  by  Elmer  C. 

1902,  by  Elmer  C. 

1903,  by  Elmer  C. 

1904,  by  Elmer  C. 

1905,  by  Elmer  C. 

1906,  by  Elmer  C. 

1907,  by  Elmer  C. 

1908,  by  Elmer  C. 

1909,  by  Elmer  C. 

1910,  by  Elmer  C. 

1911,  by  Elmer  C. 

1913,  by  Elmer  C. 

1914,  by  Elmer  C. 
rights  reserved. 


Rice 

Rice 
Rice 
Rice 
Rice 
Rice 
Rice 
Rice 
Rico 
Rice 
Rice 
Rice 
Rice 


A  WELL-BUILT  NEST. 


ery  Company 


CONTEN TS 

Page 

Preface .11 

Chapter         I.     Squabs  Pay    . .          .          .          .          .          .          .15 

Chapter       II.     An  Easy  Start 21 

Chapter     III.     The  Unit  House 37 

Chapter      IV.     Nest  Bowls  and  Xests 45 

Chapter       V.     Water  and  Feed.      .          .          .          ,          .          .51 
Chapter      VI.     Laying  and  Hatching         .  .  .  «          .63 

Chapter    VII.     Increase  of  Flock 75 

Chapter  VIII.     Killing  and  Cooling  .79 

Chapter     IX.     The  Markets 83 

Chapter       X.     Pigeons'  Ailments    ......      89 

Chapter     XI.     Getting  Ahead 93 

Chapter   XII.     Questions  and  Answers     .  101 

Supplement  .          .          .          .          .          .          ,          ..          .113 

Appendix  A  ...  .  .  139 

Appendix  B .    153 

Appendix  C  ..........    169 

Appendix  D 185 

Appendix  E  .........    227 

Appendix  F 239 

Plymouth  Rock  Carhomes 237 

Carneaux  and  Homers  Not  in  Same  Pen      ....   238 
A  Monthly  Squab  Magazine        ......   239 

More  About  How  to  Tell  Sex 239 

How  to  Keep  Down  an  Excess  of  Cocks       .  .          .          .241 

Squab  Houses  of  Two  and  Three  Stories      .          .  .          .242 

Squabs  Fed  Artificially 244 

Nests  on  the  Floor  .          .          .          .          .          .          .   244 

A  Plan  to  Get  Rid  of  Rats  and  Mice  .          .          .          .245 

How  to  Make  Perches .246 

Pittsburg  Market      ........   246 

Low  Quotations         ........   246 

How  to  Kill  Cats 247 

Breeding  True  to  Color 247 

Sulphur  and  Iron  Water  ......    248 

Pigeons  that  Fly  Away      .......   248 

No  Coal  Ashes  ........   249 

Temporary  Pen  and  Breeding  Pen       .....    249 

Twigs  for  Nesting  Materials        ......   251 

Clamoring  for  Squabs  in  Washington  State  .          .          .    253 

Oklahoma  and  Indian  Territory  .....    254 

Appendix  G  .....  .  .          .          .          .  .    303 


2033855 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page 

Page 

Page 

Page 

Author  ...                .6 

Pigeons  Sunning  .  .  .209 

Whole  Corn  289 

Artificial  Feeding.  .  .335 

Weil-Built  Nest....     8 

Squab     House     In- 

Coarse Cracked  289 

Women  and  Pig- 

P. R.  Homers  14 

terior  210 

Fine  Cracked  289 

eons  338 

Back  Yard  House  .  .   18 
Cheap  Nest  Boxes  .  .  22 

Woman  and  Squabs.21  1 
Back  of  Barn  212 

White  Wheat             290 

Tifty-Dollar  Homer.340 
White  Plumage 

Poor  Red  Wheat....  290 

Attic  Squabbery  ...  24 
Unit  Squab  House   .  26 

Shipshape  Pen  213 
Feather  Nest              214 

Wheat  Screenings  .  .290 
Barley                         291 

Squabs  342 
^Thite  Carneaux.  .  .  .  344 

Solid  Nest  Boxes.  .  .  28 

Different  Sizes  215 

Oats  291 

sunflower  Seeds         291 

Dressed  Squab  346 

Cleats  30 

Row  of  Beauties  217 

American  Millet.  '.'.'.  292 

Simple  Feedbox  ...  1  348 

Interior  of  House  ...  32 

Tame  Pigeons  218 

Siberian  Millet  292 

?lorida    Squab 

Pretty  Aviary  36 
Multiple  Unit  House  38 

Ready  to  Kill  219 
Squabs  25  Days  220 

Golden  Millet  292 
RiceUnhulled  293 

House  349 
Muslin  Ventilation.  350 

Interior  of  Same.         40 

In  the  Snow               221 

Rice  293 

Squabs,     Fruit, 

Multiple  Unit  House  42 
Squab   House    Fix- 
tures    46 

Squabs  3  Weeks  222 
Squabs  12  Days.  ..223 
Few  Days  Old  224 

Buckwheat.               293 

Chickens  351 
Plymouth  Rock 
Homer  352 

Granite  Grit  294 
Quartz  Grit  294 

Berry  Crate  60 

Mest  of  Stems  225 

Same  Crushed  294 

Montana  Homers  .  .  353 

Rich  Man's  Farm  .  .  68 

R-aised  from  Extras  .  226 

Health  Grit  295 

All  from  One  Pair.  .  .  354 

Eggs  in  Nest  64 

Carneaux  227 

Coarse  Shell  295 

Trained  Homer  .  .  .  .355 

Squabs  just  Hatched  64 

Carneau  and  Homer  236 

Pigeon  Shell  295 

Water  in  Sight  356 

Squabs  One  Week.  .  66 

Double     Squab 

Mixed  Grain  296 

Seventeen  Ounces  .  .  357 

Squabs  Two  Weeks.   66 

House  243 

South  Carolina 

Ostriches     and 

Squabs  Three  Weeks  68 

Extra  Homer  Male  .  250 

Plant  298 

Homers  358 

Squabs  Four  Weeks.  68 

Extra     Homer 

Ordinary  Quarters.  301 

Funnels  to  Bleed.  .  .359 

Mating  Coop  70 

Female                   252 

Home  Made  302 

Male  and  Female.  .  .  360 

Venice  Pigeons  74 

Barn  Fly  Pen  256 

Association  Button  .  304 

Montana  Plant  361 

Tweaking  Squabs  .  .  80 
Squabs  Cooling  82 

Three  Squabs  257 
Any  Old  Place  259 

Hanigan'sSquabs.  .305 
Carneaux  Squabs  .  .  .306 

Killing  Chute  362 
Ohio  Squab  Farm..  363 

Dressed  Squabs  86 

Protected  by  Hill.  ..262 

Squab  Plant  Moved  307 

Carneaux  364 

Log  Squab  House.  .  .  88 
Pair  Billing  90 

New  Jersey  Plant.  .  .264 
Another  View  265 

Fertile  Egg  308 
Rat-  Proof  Feeder...  309 

Bunches  of  Squabs.  .  365 
Oregon  Plant  366 

HowWeShip  98 

Minnesota  Plant  .  .  .266 

Schweitzer  Letter  .  .310 

Homers  in  Texas.  .  .367 

Feed  Troughs  108 

Banquet  Squabs  268 

A.  Silz'  Portrait  311 

Back  Yard  Plant.  ..368 

Killing  Machine....  115 
Nest  Boxes  118 

Mississippi  Plant.  .  .269 
Massachusetts 

Drayload  of  Squabs.31  1 
Poultry  Show  Pen  ..312 

B  ig     Plym  outh 
Rocks  369 

Pigeons  on  Rock  ...  138 

Plant  270 

Ten-  Cent  Crate  313 

Carneau  Squab  370 

Mating  House  140 

Another  View  271 

Heineman  Letter  .  .  .314 

White  Homer  371 

Interior  142 

California  Fly  Pen..  272 

Bob  Wires.  315 

Ten  Pairs  a  Year  .  .  .  372 

Pigeons  Outdoors.  .  .  146 

Small  Openings  .  .  .  .273 

Woman's  Plant.  .  .  .316 

Views  of  Homers.  .  .373 

Dowel  System  150 

Squabs  on  Platter.  .274 

Blue-Bar  Racer  .  .  .  .317 

Four  Homers  376 

A.  Silz  Letter  188 

In  British  Columbia  276 

Silvers  and  Splashes  318 

Novel  Fly  Pen  378 

McLaughUn  Letter.  190 
Heineman  Letter.  .  .  192 

City  Squab  House..  278 
Pair  of  Big  Squabs..  280 

Ohio  Plant  319 
Fly-Pen  Trapped.  ..320 

Carneaux  in  Ne- 
braska    380 

Plymouth  Rocks  ...  194 

OddAviary  282 

Mrs.    White's    Car- 

Homers in  Kansas.  .382 

Illinois  Plant  196 

Tobacco  Stems  283 

neaux  321 

Small  Squabhouse  .  .384 

Florida  Plant  198 

RockSalt  284 

Fresh  Air  Plenty  .  .  .  322 

Two    Kinds    of 

Hen  Sitting  199 
New  York  Plant..  ..200 

Sorghum  Seed  285 
Health  Grit  286 

Big  Homer  Squabs..  323 
Xailsf  or  Cleats  324 

Squabs  386 
Perkins'Energizer..388 

Pigeons  on  Pole  .  .  .  .202 
Cheapest  House  204 

Red  Wheat  287 
Canada  Peas  287 

Baby  and  Squabs.  .  .  325 
Four  Weeks  Old..  ..328 

Mr.  Steward's  Hom- 
ers    390 

TheStart  206 

Hempseed  287 

Boy  and  Pigeon  ....  330 

First-Class  Homers.  392 

This  Customer  206 

Wood  Screws  288 

Maerzke's  Plant  331 

Hillside  Slope  Farm.394 

Beautiful  Splashes.  .  207 

Kaffir  Corn  288 

Iowa  Squab  Farm  .  .  333 

Kansas  Squab  Farm  398 

Bars  and  Checks...  208 

Sorghum  Seed  288 

PREFACE. 

This  Manual  or  Handbook  on  Squabs  is  written  to  teach 

Eeople,  beginners  mostly,  not  merely  how  to  raise  squabs, 
ut  how  to  conduct  a  squab  and  pigeon  business  successfully. 
We  have  found  breeders  of  squabs  who  knew  how  to  raise  them 
fairly  well  and  took  pleasure  in  doing  so,  but  were  weak  on 
the  business  end  of  the  industry.  The  fancier,  who  raises 
animals  because  he  likes  their  looks  or  their  actions,  or 
because  he  hopes  to  beat  some  other  fancier  at  an  exhibition, 
is  not  the  man  for  whom  we  have  written  this  book.  .  We 
have  developed  Homer  pigeons  and  the  Homer  pigeon  industry 
solely  because  they  are  staples,  and  the  squabs  they  produce 
are  staples,  salable  in  any  market  at  a  remunerative  price. 
The  success  of  squabs  as  we  exploit  them  depends  on  their 
earning  capacity.  They  are  a  matter  of  business.  Our 
development  of  squabs  is  based  on  the  fact  that  they  are 
good  eating,  that  people  now  are  in  the  habit  of  asking  for 
and  eating  them,  that  there  is  a  large  traffic  in  them  which 
may  be  pushed  to  an  enormous  extent  without  weakening 
either  the  market  or  the  price.  If,  as  happens  in  this  case, 
pigeons  are  a  beautiful  pet  stock  as  well  as  money  makers, 
so  much  the  better,  but  we  never  would  breed  anything  not 
useful,  salable  merely  as  pets.  It  is  just  as  easy  to  pet  a 
practical  animal  as  an  impractical  animal,  and  much  more 
satisfying. 

This  Manual  is  the  latest  and  most  comprehensive  work  we 
have  done,  giving  the  results  of  our  experience  as  fully  and 
accurately  as  we  can  present  the  subject.  It  is  intended  as  an 
answer  to  the  hundreds  of  letters  we  receive,  and  we  have 
tried  to  cover  every  point  which  a  beginner  or  an  expert  needs 
to  know.  It  is  a  fault  of  writers  of  most  guide  books  like 
this  to  leave  out  points  which  they  think  are  too  trivial,  or 
"  which  everybody  ought  to  know."  It  has  been  our  experi- 
ence in  handling  this  subject  and  bringing  it  home  to  people 
that  the  little  points  are  the  ones  on  which  they  most  quickly 
go  astray,  and  on  which  they  wish  the  fullest  information. 
After  they  have  a  fair  start,  they  are  able  to  think  out  their 
operations  for  themselves.  Accordingly  we  have  covered 


12       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

every  point  in  this  book  in  simple  language  and  if  the  details 
in  some  places  appear  too  commonplace,  remember  that  we 
have  erred  on  the  side  of  plainness. 

The  customers  to  whom  we  have  sold  breeding  stock  have 
been  of  great  help  to  us  in  arranging  and  presenting  these 
facts.  We  asked  them  to  tell  us  just  the  points  they  wished 
covered,  or  covered  more  fully,  or  just  where  our  writings 
were  weak.  They  replied  in  a  most  kindly  way,  nearly  every 
letter  thanking  us  heartily,  and  brimming  over  with  enthus- 
iasm for  the  squab  industry. 

It  has  surprised  a  great  many  people  to  learn  that  Homer 
pigeons  are  such  a  staple  and  workable  article.  They  have 
been,  handled  by  the  old  methods  for  years  without  their 
great  utility  being  made  plain.  When  we  first  learned  about 
squabs,  we  were  struck  by  the  impressive  fact  that  here  was 
something  which  grew  to  market  size  in  the  incredible  time 
of  four  weeks  and  then  was  marketed  readily  at  a  good  profit. 
The  spread  of  that  knowledge  will  make  money  for  you. 
Show  your  neighbors  the  birds  you  buy  of  us,  tell  them  the 
facts,  and  perhaps  give  them  a  squab  to  eat,  then  you  will 
find  a  quick  call  for  all  the  live  breeders  you  can  supply. 

The  procedure  which  we  advise  in  this  National  Standard 
Squab  Book  is  safe  and  sound,  demonstrated  to  be  successful 
by  thousands  of  customers,  many  of  whom  started  with  no 
knowledge  except  what  we  were  able  to  give  them  by  letter 
or  word  of  mouth.  We  have  abandoned  all  instruction 
which  does  not  stand  the  test  of  time  and  locality,  and  give 
only  facts  of  proven  value,  of  real,  practical  experience. 

ELMER  C.  RICE. 


POSTSCRIPT. 

This  work  has  met  with  so  much  favor  during  the  past  year, 
and  has  sold  so  largely  in  excess  of  expectations,  that  we 
wish  to  thank  our  friends  everywhere  for  their  cordial  support. 
The  Appendix  A  which  appears  at  the  back  of  this  edition 
was  added  last  February,  and  it  is  our  intention  to  keep  the 
work  up  to  date  by  revisions  and  additions  at  least  twice 
yearly.  The  proof  of  the  pudding  is  in  the  eating,  and  the 


PREFACE  13 

proof  of  these  squab  teachings  is  shown  in  the  successes  made 
by  our  thousands  of  customers  with  no  other  knowledge  of 
squabs  than  this  as  a  guide.  Our  correspondence,  now 
having  extended  over  a  long  period,  shows  conclusively  that 
beginners  find  all  questions  answered  in  this  book,  and  go 
forward  confidently  and  surely  to  success. 

E.  C.  R. 


1907  EDITION. 

The  old  plates  of  this  book  have  been  fairly  worn  out  by 
much  printing,  so  great  has  been  the  demand  for  it,  especially 
during  the  past  five  years.  The  sales  have  been  larger  than 
for  any  other  work  on  birds  or  animals  ever  written.  For  this 
1907  edition,  the  whole  book  has  been  reset  in  new  type,  and 
new  plates  made.  • 

The  outlook  for  the  squab  industry  during  1907  and  the 
years  to  come  is  of  high  promise.  More  people  are  eating 
squabs  than  ever  before  and  more  people  are  raising  them. 
At  no  time  within  our  memory  has  the  market  been  over- 
stocked with  squabs,  and  prices  have  kept  up  all  along  the 
line.  Only  yesterday  we  were  visited  by  a  gentleman  and  his 
niece  from  New  York  City  who  stated  that  they  had  priced 
squabs  there  December  31  and  found  them  seven  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  a  dozen.  The  dealers  who  offered  them  at  this 
price  had  paid  the  breeders  for  them  from  four  dollars  to  six 
dollars  a  dozen,  according  to  their  postal  card  quotations  sent 
out  in  December. 

We  shall  be  pleased  to  hear  from  our  friends  after  they  have 
read  this  book,  and  welcome  any  suggestions  for  its  improve- 
ment, or  for  the  betterment  of  the  squab  industry.  The 
author  will  gladly  answer  all  such  letters  and  advise  fully  as  to 
location  and  construction  of  buildings,  and  management  of 
breeding  stock. 

E.  C.  R. 
1914  EDITION. 

Just  a  line  to  assure  readers  of  this  work  that  it  is  com- 
plete, up  to  date.  Note  particularly  the  new  matter  on  the 
back  pages.  E.  C.  R. 

Boston,  January,  1914. 


BLUE-BARRED   PLYMOUTH  ROCK  EXTRA   HOMERS. 


14 


CHAPTER  I. 

SQUABS  PAY. 

Experience  of  a  Customer  who  Started  in  January,  1902, 
Erected  a  Plant  Worth  Three  Thousand  Dollars  and  Made 
Money  Almost  from  the  Start — Settlements  of  Squab  Breeders 
in  Iowa,  California,  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania — 
Large  Incomes  Made  from  t^geons — Squab  Plants  Known 
to  be  Making  Money — The  Hard-Working  Farmer  and  the 
Easy-Working  Squab  Raiser — No  Occupation  for  a  Drone — 
No  Exaggeration. 

"  Will  it  pay  me  to  raise  squabs?"  is  the  first  question 
which  the  beginner  asks.  We  take  the  case  of  a  man  who 
bought  a  Manual  in  January,  1902.  His  boys  had  kept  a  few 
pigeons  but  had  never  handled  them  in  a  commercial  way, 
nor  tried  to  make  any  money  with  them.  The  reading  of 
the  book  gave  him  the  first  real  light  on  the  squab  industry. 
Possibly  he  was  more  ready  to  believe  because  he  knew  from 
his  own  personal  experience  that  a  squab  grows  to  market  size 
in  four  weeks  and  is  then  readily  marketable.  He  started  at 
once  to  build  a  squab  house  according  to  the  directions  given. 
The  ground  was  too  hard  for  him  to  get  a  pickaxe  into,  so 
he  laid  the  foundation  timbers  on  bricks,  rushed  the  work 
ahead  with  the  help  of  good  carpenters  and  sent  on  his  order 
for  breeding  stock.  In  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  he  ordered 
a  second  lot  of  breeders,  followed  by  a  third  and  a  fourth, 
and  he  kept  adding  new  buildings.  When  spring  came  and 
the  ground  softened,  he  jacked  up  his  first  squab  house,  took 
out  the  bricks  at  the  four  corners  and  put  in  cedar  posts. 
By  the  middle  of  July  he  had  five  handsome  squab  houses 
and  flying  pens,  all  built  by  skilled  labor  in  the  best  possible 
style  at  a  cost  of  at  least  three  hundred  dollars  apiece.  With 
his  buildings  and  their  fittings  and  his  birds,  his  plant  repre- 
sented an  expenditure  of  between  two  thousand  and  three 
thousand  dollars. 

This  gentleman  lives  in  a  locality  where  he  had  to  put  up  nice- 
looking  buildings,  or  the  neighbors  would  have  complained. 
He  spent  probably  three  times  more  money  on  his  buildings 

15 


16       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

than  the  average  beginner  would  spend.  He  is  a  superin- 
tendent of  a  large  manufacturing  plant,  a  man  of  push  and 
energy,  and  he  has  four  young  boys  in  his  family  who  have 
helped  with  the  wife  and  grandfather  to  make  the  venture 
successful.  It  was  a  paying  venture  almost  from  the  very 
start.  Everything  that  we  wrote  about  squabs  as  money 
makers  came  true  in  his  case.  One  of  the  sons,  a  lad  of  nine- 
teen, came  on  to  see  us  the  first  summer  and  told  us  the  story 
of  their  success.  He  was  after  more  breeding  stock.  He 
said  he  had  many  calls  from  peoole  who  wished  to  buy  stock 
of  him,  and  he  was  unable  to  supply  all  of  them,  but  he  did 
not  intend  to  have  money  offered  him  very  long  without 
being  able  to  pass  out  the  birds.  In  other  words,  they  were 
going  into  squabs  for  all  they  were  worth.  They  had  not  done 
any  advertising,  and  had  not  sold  live  breeders  to  any  extent, 
but  figured  their  profits  solely  on  the  sale  of  squabs  to  com- 
mission houses,  and  they  were  getting  for  them  just  what 
we  said  the  commission  men  would  pay. 

We  have  a  great  many  visitors,  some  coming  from  remote 
points  of  the  United  States.  One  of  our  visitors  in  the 
summer  of  1902  was  Mr.  A.  L.  Furlong,  from  a  little  town  in 
Iowa.  Mr.  Furlong  said  to  us:  "  Iowa  is  quite  a  squab 
breeding  State.  There  are  plants  in  Ruthven,  Osage,  Wallake 
and  Estherville.  The  owner  of  a  plant  in  Ruthven  I  know 
very  well.  He  showed  me  his  account  books;  he  was  shipping 
from  seven  hundred  to  eight  hundred  dollars  worth  of  squabs 
last  month.  He  is  making  a  profit  of  three  thousand  to  five 
thousand  dollars  a  year.  He  ships  to  the  Chicago  market, 
as  do  nearly  all  the  Iowa  breeders.  He  never  gets  less  than 
two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  a  dozen  for  his  squabs.  I  am 
going  to  start  raising  squabs  myself." 

Mr.  Furlong  left  an  order  for  one  of  our  Manuals,  having 
given  his  first  one  to  his  friend.  He  said  that  his  friend  was 
breeding  common  pigeons  and  would  like  to  know  our  methods. 
We  discarded  common  pigeons  some  time  ago.  If  our  Iowa 
friends  will  use  Homer  pigeons  instead  of  common  ones,  they 
will  produce  a  much  better  squab  and  make  more  money. 

We  had  a  curious  confirmation  of  the  above  in  August,  1902, 
when  Mr.  E.  H.  Grice,  who  lives  in  the  northern  part  of 
Vermont,  visited  us.  Mr.  Grice  had  just  returned  from  a  visit 
to  the  West,  and  stopped  for  a  while  at  Ruthven,  Iowa,  where 


SQUABS  PAY  17 

he  saw  the  plant  above  noted.  The  proprietor  referred  Mr. 
Grice  to  us  and  advised  him  to  start  with  Homer  pigeons, 
saying  that,  if  he  were  to  stock  up  again,  it  would  be  with 
Homer  instead  of  the  common  pigeons.  Before  leaving,  Mr. 
Grice  gave  us  an  order  for  one  hundred  pairs  of  our  Homers. 

The  number  of  orders  for  breeding  stock  which  we  have 
received  from  Iowa  is  out  of  proportion  to  any  State  near  it, 
showing  that  these  squab  plants  are  known  throughout  Iowa 
to  be  making  money.  The  same  is  true  of  California.  We 
visited  many  squab  breeders  in  eastern  States  in  June,  1902, 
noting  the  buildings  and  methods  and  finding  out  from  them 
if  they  were  satisfied  with  the  financial  returns.  All  were 
enthusiastic  and  said  it  was  easy  work,  that  squabs  beat 
hens  easily  and  were  much  less  care.  The  methods  of  some 
of  these  breeders  were  extremely  crude,  the  birds  nesting  in 
old  boxes  of  all  sizes  nailed  to  the  walls  of  the  squab 
houses,  and  apparently  never  being  cleaned.  The  Homers 
were  small,  not  being  able  to  raise  squabs  weighing  over  seven 
pounds  to  the  dozen. 

Somebody  has  said  that  a  squab  plant  of  one  thousand  pairs 
of  birds  will  pay  better  than  a  farm.  The  contrast  between 
the  hard,  grinding  toil  of  the  man  who  works  a  large  farm  and 
the  "  standing  around  "  of  the  owner  of  a  squab  plant  is  indeed 
a  striking  one.  However,  we  do  not  speak  of  this  to  give  you 
the  idea  that  money  is  going  to  flow  into  your  lap  just  because 
you  buy  some  squab  breeders  of  us.  It  is  no  work  for  a  drone 
or  a  "  get-rich-quick  "  person  whose  enthusiasm  runs  riot  for 
two  weeks  and  then  cools  off.  Our  class  of  trade  is  men  and 
women  of  experience  and  reliable  common  sense  who  have 
a  knowledge  of  the  world  and  understand  that  things  come 
by  work  and  not  for  the  asking.  The  people  who  are  able 
and  willing  to  pay  us  from  fifty  to  five  hundred  dollars  for  a 
breeding  outfit,  as  hundreds  do,  are  not  caught  by  glittering 
promises,  but  have  money  laid  by  through  exercise  of  the 
qualities  of  ability  and  shrewdness.  The  naturally  careless, 
improvident  person,  who  is  generally  in  debt,  should  not  start 
squab  raising.  It  is  a  sensible  industry  for  sensible  people. 

The  profits  to  be  made  with  squabs  vary  with  the  individual 
and  with  the  management  of  the  birds,  exactly  as  with  poul- 
try. It  is  important  to  have  only  mated  or  even  pairs  in  the 
pens  and  all  birds  not  producing  should  be  keot  in  a  separate 


SQUABS  PAY  19 

pen  and  removed  to  breeding  quarters  only  after  they  have 
gone  to  work.  The  chief  difficulty  with  a  beginner  is  the 
matter  of  sex.  The  male  and  the  female  pigeon  have  no 
marks  to  distinguish  them,  and  the  beginner  must  determine 
their  sex  by  observation.  He  must  study  his  birds  and  come 
to  know  them.  Some  beginners  will  not  equip  themselves  by 
study  and  observation  to  make  a  success  and  may  breed  in  a 
hap-hazard  fashion  for  a  year  or  more  without  knowing  the 
sex  of  the  birds  they  raise.  Birds  which  you  raise  will  go  to 
work  more  quickly,  look  better  and  breed  better  than  any  birds 
you  can  buy,  because  that  is  the  temperament  of  the  Homer, 
to  be  attached  to  his  home,  to  love  it,  and  to  try  to  reach  it  if 
he  can.  Anybody  who  has  doubts  as  to  his  ability  to  raise 
squabs  should  start  with  a  small  flock  and  breed  up  until  he 
has  acquired  skill  and  experience. 

As  part  of  this  Manual,  in  the  supplement  and  appendices, 
we  print  many  letters  from  customers  who  started  with  small 
flocks  and  won  striking  successes.  It  is  not  necessary  to  get 
a  fancy  price  for  the  squabs  to  make  the  business  a  success. 
In  confirmation  of  this  we  have  in  mind  the  work  of  two  of 
our  customers,  young  men  named  Lunn,  who  have  received 
only  two  dollars  to  three  dollars  a  dozen  for  their  squabs, 
selling  to  dealers  who  retail  them  for  four  dollars  to  six 
dollars  a  dozen.  These  brothers  have  told  their  story  in  one 
of  the  poultry  papers  as  follows : 

"  In  February,  1905,  we  got  the  idea  of  going  into  the  squab 
business.  We  spent  some  time  looking  around  and  in  March, 
1905,  we  bought  what  we  thought  was  the  best  stock,  namely, 
the  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  We  bought  twelve 
pairs.  The  birds  arrived  on  March  22,  1905,  and  were  as 
fine  a  looking  lot  of  birds  as  we  had  seen  anywhere.  We  now 
(December,  1906)  have  three  hundred  pairs.  One  hundred  and 
fifty  pairs  are  well  mated  and  working.  The  other  one 
hundred  and  fifty  pairs  are  all  young  birds.  We  raised  all 
our  young  birds  up  until  September,  1906,  and  since  then  have 
been  selling  squabs  weighing  from  nine  and  one-quarter  to 
ten  and  one-half  pounds  and  receive  twenty-three  and 
twenty-five  cents  each.  We  feed  the  best  of  grain,  using 
cracked  corn,  kaffir  corn,  red  wheat,  buckwheat  and  peas  and 
a  little  hemp.  We  also  give  a  little  rice  once  or  twice  a  week. 
During  the  moulting  season  we  added  barley  to  regular 


20      NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

rations,  which  was  a  great  help  to  the  birds  all  that  time.  We 
use  the  self-feeder  as  described  by  Mr.  Rice  in  his  Manual  and 
we  find  with  it  the  grain  is  always  clean.  We  have  made  the 
feeding  question  one  of  the  most  important  of  all  and  find 
that  the  best  results  are  obtained  by  keeping  plenty  of  grain 
and  good  clean  drinking  water  before  the  birds  at  all  times. 
The  drinking  fountains  used  are  automatic  and  are  scalded 
once  each  week.  About  once  a  week  we  give  a  teaspoonful 
of  gentian  to  a  gallon  of  water.  We  keep  fresh  water  in  the 
flying  pens  for  bathing  purpose  at  all  times  during  the  summer, 
and  in  the  winter  we  allow  our  birds  to  bathe  twice  a  week  at 
noontime.  One  thing  that  is  very  essential  with  pigeons  is 
to  be  kept  clean.  Our  houses  and  nests  are  cleaned  every 
week  and  we  also  spray  the  floors,  nests  and  walk  with  a 
liquid  disinfectant.  We  have  never  been  troubled  with  lice, 
vermin  or  any  disease  of  any  kind.  For  nesting  material  we 
use  tobacco  stems,  cutting  them  into  pieces  of  about  six 
inches,  which  we  consider  the  best  material  for  the  purpose, 
and  also  a  safeguard  against  lice.  We  feel  satisfied  with 
what  our  birds  are  doing  and  have  done  in  the  past,  so  well 
satisfied,  in  fact,  that  we  have  now  under  construction  build- 
ings that  will  accommodate  nearly  one  thousand  pairs  of  birds. 
And  the  cost  of  keeping  or  feeding  will  not  exceed  one  dollar 
a  year  per  pair,  so  that  squabs  selling  from  two  dollars  to 
three  dollars  per  dozen  are  sure  to  leave  a  good  profit." 

Looking  at  the  financial  showing  of  the  Lunn  boys,  made 
in  twenty-two  months,  we  find  that  starting  with  twelve 
pairs,  for  which  they  paid  us  thirty  dollars,  they  raised  three 
hundred  pairs,  worth  at  the  same  rate  seven  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars.  From  this  must  be  deducted  the  grain  which 
they  bought  in  that  period.  They  start  the  new  year  with  a 
fine  plant  capable  of  earning  a  big  percentage  of  profit  on  its 
valuation. 


CHAPTER  II. 

AN  EASY  START. 

No  Special  Form  of  Building  Necessary — Points  to  Remember 
— Shelter  Adapted  to  the  Climate — How  to  Use  a  Building 
which  you  Now  Have — Squab  House  and  Flying  Pen — 
Lining  the  Squab  House  with  Nests —  Use  of  Egg  Crates — 
How  to  Put  up  the  Perches — Difference  between  the  Nest 
Box,  Nest  Pan  and  Nest — How  to  Tell  How  Many  Pigeons 
can  Occupy  a  Certain  Building — A  Large  Flock  of  Pigeons 
is  Easily  Cared  for  when  Split  up  into  Small  Flocks — 
How  to  Use  Your  Time  to  Best  Advantage. 

Do  not  get  the  iftea  that  any  special  form  of  building  is 
necessary  to  raise  squabs.  We  will  tell  you  how  to  put  up  a 
structure  that  will  make  your  work  easier  for  you,  and  enable 
you  to  handle  a  big  flock  fast  and  accurately,  but  pigeons 
will  work  in  almost  any  place,  if  it  is  free  from  rats,  darkness 
and  the  musty  dampness  which  goes  with  darkness.  Any 
building,  whether  a  woodshed,  a  corn  crib,  a  barn,  an  outhouse 
of  any  description,  or  even  a  hog  pen,  can  be  made  a  successful 
home  for  pigeons  with  a  little  work. 

The  points  to  remember  are  these,  first,  that  the  building 
be  on  fairly  level,  sunny  ground;  second,  that  it  be  raised 
from  the  ground  so  that  rats  cannot  breed  under  it  out  of  sight 
and  reach;  third,  that  it  ought  to  be  fairly  tight,  so  as  to  keep 
out  rain  and  excessive  cold.  Pigeons  ought  to  have  sunlight 
and  fresh  air,  like  any  other  animal,  and  need  protection  from 
the  elements. 

In  practice,  therefore,  most  squab  houses  are  found  raised 
on  posts  a  foot  or  two  feet  off  the  ground;  they  face  the 
south  (here  in  New  England)  because  most  of  our  bitter 
weather  comes  from  the  north  and  east.  If  you  live  in  a 
State,  territory  or  foreign  country  where  conditions  are 
different,  adapt  your  squab  houses  to  those  conditions.  In 
some  localities,  the  fierce  weather  comes  from  the  south  and 
west,  in  which  case  your  squab  house  should  face  the  north 
or  east. 

Here  in  New  England  we  build  a  tight  house  to  withstand 

21 


CHEAP  BUT  PRACTICAL  NEST  BOXES. 

These  are  empty  egg  crates  piled  one  atop  another  from  floor  to  roof  of  squab 
house.  Each  egg  crate  is  two  feet  long,  one  foot  wide  and  one  foot  deep.  The 
partition  in  the  middle  makes  two  nest  boxes,  each  one  foot  square.  Into  each  of 
these  nest  boxes  a  wood  pulp  bowl  is  placed.  The  birds  build  their  nests  in  these 
wood  pulp  bowls. 


,4 AT  EASY  START  23 

the  cold  winters,  but  in  the  South  the  buildings  are  more  open. 
Be  guided  by  what  you  see  around  you  in  the  place  where  you 
live.  If  the  houses  used  by  your  friends  and  neighbors  for 
hens  and  chickens  are  tight  and  warm,  make  your  squab 
house  tight  and  warm.  It  would  be  foolish  for  you,  for 
example,  if  you  live  in  Texas,  to  build  a  strong,  tight,  close 
squab  house,  for  in  that  latitude,  in  a  henhouse  built  tight 
and  close,  vermin  would  swarm  and  harass  the  chicks,  and 
they  would  harass  the  squabs  just  as  fast. 

Some  of  our  customers  write  from  places  like  Oregon  and 
Idaho,  where  there  is  a  wet  and  a  dry  season,  and  are  puzzled 
to  know  what  to  do.  In  such  cases  we  say,  arrange  your 
buildings  as  you  see  poultry  houses  arranged.  .The  pigeons 
will  do  as  well  under  the  same  conditions  as  hens  and  chickens. 

Suppose  you  have  a  vacant  building  or  shack  of  any  kind 
in  which  you  wish  to  raise  squabs.  We  will  take  for  granted 
that  it  has  either  a  flat  roof  or  a  ridgepole  with  sloping  roof, 
and  that  it  is  built  in  rectangular  form.  Never  mind  what 
the  dimensions  are;  our  advice  will  apply  to  either  the  large 
or  the  small  structure. 

First  raise  it  off  the  ground,  or  build  a  new  floor  off  the 
ground,  so  that  rats  cannot  breed  out  of  your  sight  in  the 
darkness  and  get  up  into  the  squab  house.  If  there  is  an  old 
floor,  patch  up  all  the  holes  in  it.  Now  you  need  one  door, 
to  get  yourself  in  and  out  of  the  squab  house,  and  you  need 
at  least  one  window  through  which  the  pigeons  can  fly  from 
the  squab  house  into  the  flying  pen  and  back  from  the  flying 
pen  into  the  house.  You  will  shut  this  window  on  cold  nights, 
or  on  cold  winter  days.  You  must  cover  the  whole  window 
with  wire  netting  so  that  the  birds  cannot  break  the  panes 
of  glass  by  flying  against  them.  If  you  have  no  wire  netting 
over  the  window,  some  of  the  birds,  when  it  is  closed,  will 
not  figure  out  for  themselves  that  the  glass  stops  their  progress, 
but  will  bang  against  the  panes  at  full  speed,  sometimes  hurting 
their  heads  and  dazing  them  and  at  other  times  breaking  the 
glass. 

The  flying  pen  which  you  will  build  on  the  window  side  of 
the  squab  house  may  be  as  small  or  as  large  as  you  have  room. 
The  idea  of  it  is  not  to  give  the  birds  an  opportunity  for  long 
flight,  but  simply  to  get  them  out  into  the  open  air  and  sun- 
light. They  enjoy  the  sun  very  much,  it  does  them  good 


24 


,4 AT  EASY  START  25 

and  they  court  its  direct  rays  all  the  time.  Build  the  flying 
pen,  if  you  choose,  up  over  the  roof,  so  the  birds  may  sun 
themselves  there.  If  that  side  of  the  roof  which  faces  the 
flying  pen  is  too  steep  for  the  pigeons  to  get  a  foothold,  nail 
footholds  along  the  roof,  same  as  carpenters  use  when  they 
are  shingling  a  roof,  and  the  pigeons  will  rest  on  these  to  sun 
themselves.  For  the  flying  pen  you  want  the  ordinary 
poultry  netting,  either  of  one-inch  or  two-inch  mesh.  The 
two-inch  mesh  is  almost  invariably  used  by  squab  raisers, 
because  it  is  very  much  cheaper  than  the  one-inch  mesh. 
The  one-inch  mesh  is  used  only  by  squab  raisers  who  are  afraid 
that  small  birds  (the  English  sparrows  here  in  New  England) 
will  steal  through  the  large  meshes  of  the  two-inch  netting 
and  eat  the  grain  which  you  have  bought  for  the  pigeons. 
You  can  buy  this  wire  netting  in  rolls  of  any  width  from  one 
foot  up  to  six  feet.  If  your  flying  pen  is  twelve  feet  high, 
you  should  use  rolls  of  the  six-foot  wire.  If  it  is  ten  feet  high, 
rolls  which  are  five  feet  wide  are  what  you  want.  If  your 
flying  pen  is  to  be  eight  feet  high,  buy  rolls  which  are  four 
feet  wide.  In  joining  one  width  of  wire  netting  to  its  neighbor, 
in  constructing  your  flying  pen,  do  not  cut  small  pieces  of  tie 
wire  and  tie  them  together,  for  that  takes  too  much  time  and 
is  a  bungling  job,  but  buy  a  coil  of  No.  18  or  20  iron  wire  and 
weave  this  from  one  selvage  to  another  of  your  wire  netting 
in  and  out  of  tne  meshes,  and  you  have  the  best  joint. 

You  can  line  the  three  walls  of  the  interior  of  your  squab 
house  with  nest  boxes  if  you  choose.  The  fourth  wall  is  the 
one  in  which  the  window  or  windows  are.  On  this  fourth 
wall  you  should  not  have  nest  boxes,  but  perches. '  These 
perches,  or  roosts,  should  be  tacked  up  about  fifteen  inches 
apart,  so  as  to  give  the  birds  room  without  interfering  with 
one  another.  The  advantage  of  the  V-shaped  roost  which  we 
advise  is  that  a  bird  perched  on  it  cannot  soil  the  bird  under- 
neath. We  sell  for  five  cents  each  pigeon  perches  as  illus- 
trated on  page  32  of  this  book,  which  is  cheaper  than  they 
can  be  made  of  lumber. 

Please  note  particularly  at  this  point  the  following  terms 
which  we  use,  and  do  not  become  confused.  The  nest  box 
is  something  in  which  rests  the  nest  bowl  in  which  the  nest 
is  built.  Do  not  ,;peak  or  think  of  nests  when  you  mean  nest 
boxes. 


AN  EASY  START  27 

The  nest  boxes,  when  done,  should  look  like  the  pigeon-holes 
of  a  desk,  and  should  be  about  one  foot  high,  one  foot  wide 
and  one  foot  deep.  A  variation  either  way  of  an  inch  or 
two  will  not  matter. 

One  way  to  get  these  pigeon-holes  is  to  build  them  of  nice 
pine  lumber,  in  the  form  of  boxing  one-half  or  five-eighths 
of  an  inch  thick.  Another  way  is  to  use  hemlock  or  spruce 
boards  one  inch  thick.  The  third  way  (which  we  think  is 
the  best  for  the  beginner  who  wishes  to  start  most  cheaply  and 
quickly)  is  to  use  egg  crates,  or  orange  boxes.  These  egg 
crates  are  two  feet  long,  one  foot  wide  and  one  foot  deep, 
but  they  are  divided  in  the  middle  by  a  partition,  giving  two 
spaces,  each  of  a  cubic  foot,  and  this  is  just  what  the  squab 
raiser  wants.  They  are  procurable  almost  anywhere  in  the 
United  States  and  Canada  new  for  ten  or  fifteen  cents  each, 
and  if  you  buy  them  after  the  egg  shippers  are  through  with 
them,  you  can  get  them  for  three  to  five  cents  apiece.  Some 
grocers  will  be  glad  to  have  you  carry  them  away  and  will 
charge  you  nothing  for  them.  The  crates  are  built  of  thin, 
tough  wood  and  usually  are  neat  and  solid.  Take  off  the 
covers  and  throw  the  covers  away, — you  do  not  need  them. 
Then  put  one  egg  crate  on  its  side,  open  top  out,  place 
another  egg  crate  on  top  of  that,  and  so  on  until  you  have 
covered  the  three  walls  of  your  squab  house  from  the  floor 
to  the  roof.  Do  not  use  any  nails,  they  are  not  necessary: 
the  crates  will  keep  in  position  by  their  weight.  It  is  an 
advantage,  also,  to  have  them  loose,  for  when  you  clean  the 
nests,  you  can  step  up  on  a  chair  or  box,  take  down  the  crates, 
commencing  with  the  top,  and  clean  each  one  with  your  feet 
on  the  floor.  If  you  build  a  substantial  set  of  nest  boxes  of 
boxing  or  hemlock  lumber,  you  will  have  to  stand  on  a  chair 
and  strain  your  arms  in  order  to  clean  the  top  nest  boxes, 
so  you  see  there  are  points  in  the  low-priced  arrangement 
not  possessed  by  the  fancy  kind.  It  is  on  the  same  principle 
by  which  a  humble  small  boy  with  bent  pin  and  worms  and  an 
old  pole  catches  more  fish  than  the  city  angler  with  a  twenty- 
five  dollar  assortment  of  hooks,  lines  and  artificial  flies.  It 
is  the  pigeons  and  the  intelligence  behind  them  which  do  the 
trick,  every  time.  A  fancy  pigeon  house  with  fancy  trimmings 
cannot  produce  any  better  squabs  than  the  home-made  affair, 
provided  the  birds  are  the  same  in  both  cases, 


NEST  BOXES  BUILT  OF  LUMBER. 

This  shows  the  front  of  the  nest  boxes  as  they  face  the  interior  of  the  squab 
house.  They  are  from  ten  to  twelve  inches  square,  and  the  same  distance  deep. 
A  slight  variation  does  not  matter.  The  fronts  of  the  nest  boxes  are. perfectly  plain, 
as  shown. 


,47V  EASY  START  29 

You  should  have  a  pair  of  nest  boxes  for  a  pair  of  pigeons. 
By  a  pair  of  pigeons  we  mean  two  pigeons,  a  male  and  a 
female.  By  a  pair  of  nest  boxes  we  mean  two  nest  boxes. 
We  find  that  the  word  pair  has  a  different  meaning  to  people 
in  different  parts  of  the  country,  perhaps  on  the  same  principle 
that  a  pair  of  scissors  or  a  pair  of  suspenders  is  one  object, 
while  a  pair  of  something  else,  as  in  this  case,  means  two 
objects.  A  pair  of  pigeons  attend  to  a  pair  of  squabs  in  one 
nest  box,  nevertheless  for  each  pair  of  pigeons  you  need  two 
nest  boxes,  for  when  the  squabs  are  about  two  weeks  old  in 
one  nest,  the  old  birds  will  go  to  the  adjoining  nest  box,  or  to 
a  nest  box  in  a  distant  part  of  the  squab  house,  and  begin 
housekeeping  again,  laying  eggs  and  dividing  their  attention 
between  the  two  families. 

Count  your  nest  boxes  and  you  will  know  how  many 
pigeons  your  house  will  accommodate.  If  your  count  shows 
ninety-six  nest  boxes  (in  other  words,  forty-eight  pairs  of  nest 
boxes),  you  can  accommodate  (in  theory)  forty-eight  pairs 
of  pigeons.  It  is  important  to  remember  this:  Never  fill 
a  house  with  pigeons  to  the  uttermost  limit  of  its  capacity, 
as  shown  by  count  of  nest  boxes.  If  you  have,  for  example, 
forty-eight  pairs  of  nest  boxes,  do  not  put  into  that  house 
more  than  thirty  to  forty  pairs  of  pigeons.  That  will  leave 
plenty  of  nest  boxes  for  the  birds  to  choose  from.  We  have 
found  by  experience  that  thirty  or  thirty-five  pairs  in  a 
ninety-six  nest-box  house  will  accomplish  more  than  more 
pairs  in  the  same  space. 

Do  not  write  us  and  tell  us  that  you  have  a  house  of  a 
certain  size  and  ask  us  to  tell  you  how  many  pairs  of  pigeons 
it  will  accommodate.  Put  in  your  nest  boxes  as  we  have 
described  and  then  count  them,  and  you  will  know.  Or  you 
may  figure  it  out  for  yourself  on  paper,  allowing  two  nest 
boxes,  each  one  cubic  foot  in  size,  for  each  pair  of  birds.  To 
put  it  in  another  way,  you  should  allow  one  cubic  foot  of  nest 
box  space  for  each  breeding  pigeon.  Surely  we  have  made 
this  so  plain  now  that  you  cannot  go  astray. 

Perhaps  your  start  will  be  made  with  so  small  a  number  of 
birds  that  you  will  not  have  to  cover  more  than  one  wall  of 
your  squab  house  with  nest  boxes.  Cover  one  wall,  or  two 
walls,  or  three  walls,  whichever  the  occasion  demands.  Have 
a  lot  of  spare  boxes,  and  let  the  breeding  pairs  choose  where 


SINGLE    NEST-BOX 
CONSTRUCTION. 

(SEE  UPPER  PICTURE). 
When  the  nest  boxes  are 
built  of  lumber  (one-half 
an  inch  or  five-eighths  of  an 
inch  thick)  the  construc- 
tion shown  in  the  upper 
drawing  (surrounded  by 
black  line)  should  be  em- 
ployed. The  bottoms  are 
not  nailed,  but  slide  in  on 
cleats  as  shown.  The  re- 
sult is  a  slid  ing  shelf.  This 
shelf  may  be  pulled  out  at 
cleaning  time  and  a  better 
and  quicker  job  of  cleaning 
done.  The  nest  bowls 
may  be  screwed  directly 
to  the  bottoms  of  the  nest 
boxes.  Ifthatisdone.it 
will  not  be  necessary  to 
screw  the  nest  bowls  to 
blocks  of  wood,  to  give 
them  stability.  The  nest 
boxes  should  be  from  ten 
inches  to  twelve  inches 
square. 


DOUBLE  NEST-BOX 

CONSTRUCTION. 
(SEE  LOWER  PICTURE.) 
This  double  box  is 
favored  by  many.  It  is 
comparatively  new  in  de- 
sign. The  picture  was 
drawn  and  this  description 
was  written  in  February, 
1913.  Pages  45  to  50  of 
this  book  were  put  into 
type  and  plates  made  be- 
fore that  date.  This 
double  nest  box  is  a  good 
one.  The  box  has  two 
feet  frontage.  The  re- 
movable centre  piece  is 
four  inches  high,  two  feet 
frontage  and  one  foot 
deep.  The  shelf  or  base- 
board, also  removable,  is 
deep  enough  so  that 
a  porch  (or  perch)  four 
inches  wide  is  left  for  the 
birds  to  alight  on.  This 
shelf,  or  baseboard,  slides 
on  cleats,  so  the  whole 
arrangement,  except  the 

'•i?  vertical    uprights,    takes 

apart  for  cleaning.      The 
nestbowls.twoin  number, 

are  screwed  to  the  baseboard  in  the  centre  of  the  two  squares  formed  by  the  removable 
centre  piece.  Some  builders  prefer  the  single  nest-box  construction  Bothers  the  double. 
It  is  a  matter  of  individual  preference 


single  nest-box  construction ,  others  the  double. 
Each  style  is  good  and  we  endorse  both  of  them. 


AN  EASY  START  31 

they  will.  An  extra  number  of  nest  boxes  may  be  useful 
to  you  to  accommodate  the  young  birds  raised  to  breeding 
age  from  the  old  birds  which  you  buy  of  us,  if  you  intend  to 
raise  your  squabs  to  breeding  age. 

An  expenditure  of  not  over  five  dollars,  and  a  couple  of 
days'  time,  will  transform  the  average  old  building  into  a 
habitation  for  squabs.  Put  on  the  finishing  touches  and  add 
to  the  expense  to  suit  your  fancy.  You  may  cover  the  out- 
side of  the  building  with  building  paper,  and  shingle  or  clap- 
board it.  You  may  put  a  skylight  in  the  roof  for  ventilation, 
Improve  it  all  you  wish.  Use  your  own  judgment. 

To  get  at  your  pigeons  in  such  a  house,  you  walk  in  through 
the  door  and  find  yourself  directly  among  them,  the  nest 
boxes  all  pointing  at  you.  Go  to  the  nest  which  you  wish  to 
investigate  or  from  which  you  wish  to  take  out  the  squabs 
and  put  your  hand  in  the  opening.  The  old  birds  will  fly 
by  your  head,  perhaps,  and  may  strike  you  with  their  wings, 
but  they  will  not  fly  into  your  face  and  eyes,— they  are  good 
dodgers.  Don't  be  afraid  that  if  you  enter  the  house  when 
the  housekeeping  is  going  on  you  will  frighten  the  birds  so 
they  never  will  come  back  to  the  eggs  or  the  squabs.  They 
will  seem  timid  at  first,  but  they  will  get  accustomed  to  you. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  weeks,  only  a  few  will  make  a  great 
hustle  to  get  away  from  you.  Many  of  them  will  continue 
to  sit  contentedly  on  the  eggs  and  if  you  put  up  your  hand 
to  them  they  will  not  fly  off  in  fear  but  will  slap  you  with 
their  wings,  telling  you  in  their  language  not  to  bother  them. 
Carry  some  hempseed  in  with  you  and  you  will  teach  the 
birds  to  come  and  eat  it  out  of  your  hand.  You  can  tame 
them  and  teach  them  to  love  you  as  any  animal  is  taught. 
The  pigeon,  particularly  the  Homer,  the  king  of  them  all,  is 
a  knowing  bird. 

We  sell  perches  of  our  own  manufacture  which  are  cheaper 
than  they  can  be  made  at  home  out  of  lumber.  Price,  five 
cents  each,  ten  for  fifty  cents,  twenty  for  one  dollar,  one 
hundred  for  five  dollars.  Sample  by  mail  for  eight  cents. 
These  perches  are  pictured  in  position  in  the  squabhouse  on 
the  next  page  (32).  They  are  just  screwed  into  the  wall 
wherever  convenient.  Put  up  as  many  perches  as  you  please 
about  eighteen  inches  or  two  feet  apart  on  the  inside  of  your 
squabhouse,  on  the  walls.  The  arrangement  should  be  about 


AN  EASY  START  33 

as  shown  in  the  illustration.  You  cannot  have  one  long 
pole  inside  the  squab  house  for  a  pigeon  perch.  If  you  had 
such  a  pole,  and  your  pigeons  were  perched  on  it,  or  some 
of  them  were,  a  bully  cock  would  saunter  down  the  line  and 
push  off  all  the  others. 

In  the  centre  of  the  squab  house  you  place  an  empty  crate 
or  overturned  box.  The  object  of  this  is  to  break  the  force 
of  the  wind  made  by  the  pigeons'  wings  as  they  fly  in  and  out 
of  the  squab  house.  Otherwise  the  floor  of  the  squab  house 
would  be  swept  clean  by  the  force  of  the  wind.  It  also  forms 
a  roosting-place  for  the  birds,  and,  finally,  it  is  a  convenient 
resting-place  for  the  straw,  hay,  grass  cr  pine  needles  out  of 
which  the  pigeons  build  their  nests. 

The  floor  of  the  squab  house  should  be  kept  clean.  We 
formerly  advised  that  a  layer  of  sand  or  sawdust  half  an 
inch  thick  be  kept  on  the  floor  of  the  squab  house,  to  absorb 
the  droppings,  but  we  have  found  a  steady  and  profitable 
demand  for  pigeon  manure,  and  this  manure  is  worth  scraping 
up  and  carefully  saving,  for  its  sale  will  pay  from  one-quarter 
to  one- third  of  the  grain  bill.  Use  an  ice  chisel  to  scrape  the 
droppings  from  the  floor,  and  pack  the  manure  away  in  barrels 
or  bags.  Clean  the  floor  about  once  in  three  weeks,  or  oftener, 
depending  on  the  size  of  your  flock.  Pigeon  manure  is  in 
active  demand  all  the  time  by  tanneries.  We  send  the 
manure  from  our  pigeons  by  freight  to  tanneries  in  Lowell, 
Lynn,  Peabody  and  Danvers,  and  are  paid  for  it  at  the  rate 
*)f  sixty  cents  a  bushel. 

We  have  a  building  eighty  feet  long  built  especially  for  the 
drying  and  storing  of  the  manure.  During  the  years  we  have 
been  in  the  squab  business,  we  have  sold  enough  pigeon 
manure  to  pay  for  nearly  all  the  pigeon  buildings  on  our  farm. 
Some  pigeon  raisers  with  crude  methods  know  nothing  of  the 
value  of  the  manure  and  lose  this  by-product.  They  either 
ruin  it  by  putting  sand  or  sawdust  on  the  floor  of  the  squab 
house,  or  else  waste  it  on  their  gardens.  The  pure  manure 
is  too  valuable  for  home  use.  To  fertilize  our  flower  and 
vegetable  gardens,  and  hay  field,  we  scrape  up  from  the 
flying  pens,  outdoors,  the  gravel  which  has  become  saturated 
with  manure.  It  is  surprising  what  an  increase  in  vegetation 
this  manure-soaked  gravel  will  cause.  Fresh  gravel  is  put 
down  in  the  flying  pens. 


34       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

A  peculiarity  about  pigeon  manure  is  that  it  is  not  foul- 
smelling  like  hen  manure,  and  when  it  is  mixed  with  water 
you  get  a  kind  of  crude  soap.  In  washing  the  old-style 
earthenware  nest  bowls,  no  soap  was  necessary.  We  used 
warm  water  in  washing  them  and  the  manure  caked  to  them 
formed  a  cleansing  soap  in  conjunction  with  the  water.  If 
you  have  a  basket  in  which  you  have  transported  pigeons, 
and  whose  bottom  is  caked  with  the  hard  droppings,  lay  the 
basket  face  down  and  sprinkle  water  liberally  on  the  under- 
side. The  manure  will  drop  off  in  large  pieces  from  the 
inside  and  the  basket  will  become  perfectly  clean. 

In  raising  live-stock  of  any  kind,  arrange  matters  so  the 
animals  will  look  after  themselves  as  much  as  possible.  Aim 
to  cut  down  the  factor  of  personal  drudgery,  so  as  to  leave 
your  time  clear  to  observe,  plan,  and  execute  intelligently. 
Beginners  who  load  themselves  dow.-i  with  a  daily  round  of 
exacting  duties  soon  lose  heart,  thair  patience  gives  out  and 
they  become  disgusted.  We  have  known  breeders  of  rabbits 
to  fail  simply  because  they  raised  them  in  hutches.  Each 
hutch  had  a  door  and  two  dishes,  one  for  feed,  the  other  for 
water.  Every  day,  the  door  of  the  hutch  had  to  be  opened, 
the  hutch  cleaned,  the  dishes  refilled  (and  often  cleaned),  and 
the  door  closed.  It  took  fifteen  or  twenty  motions  to  do  this 
for  each  hutch.  Multiply  this  by  twenty  to  thirty  (the 
number  of  the  hutches),  and  the  burden  grew  unbearable. 
It  was  not  surprising  that  in  three  or  four  months  the  breeder's 
patience  was  worn  out.  The  factor  of  personal  drudgery  had 
become  greater  than  the  rabbits.  The  thoughtful  breeder 
would  have  turned  his  rabbits  into  two  or  three  enclosures  on 
the  ground  and  let  them  shift  for  themselves.  Then  one  set 
of  motions  in  feeding  would  have  answered  for  all,  and  there 
would  have  been  no  dirt  to  clean  up.  Infinite  patience  as 
well  as  skill  is  required  to  make  a  success  of  animals  given 
individual  attention.  The  aim  of  every  breeder  should  be  to 
make  one  minute  of  his  time  serve  the  greatest  possible  num- 
ber of  animals.  When  you  think  and  reason  for  yourself, 
you  understand  how  much  more  practical  it -is  to  give  sixty 
animals  one  minute  of  your  time  than  one  animal  one  minute. 
Time  is  money  and  if  you  are  too  particular,  and  too  fussy, 
and  thoughtless  about  these  details,  it  is  a  clear  case  of  the 
chances  being  sixty  to  one  against  you. 


AN  EASY  START  35 

At  the  start,  the  problem  of  breeding  squabs  for  market 
is  in  your  favor,  because  one  hundred  pairs  of  breeding 
pigeons  may  be  handled  as  easily  and  as  rapidly  as  one  pair. 
Try  to  keep  this  numerical  advantage  in  your  favor  all  the 
time.  Discard  every  plan  that  cuts  down  the  efficiency  of 
your  own  labor,  and  adopt  every  device  that  will  give  you 
control  in  the  same  time  over  a  greater  number  of  pigeons. 

It  takes  brains  and  skilled  labor  to  run  a  poultry  plant 
successfully.  Every  poultry  man  knows  that  he  cannot 
entrust  the  regulation  of  temperatures  of  incubators  and 
brooders  to  an  ignorant  hired  man,  but  even  a  boy  or  girl,  or 
under-the-average  farm  hand,  knows  enough  to  fill  up  the 
bath  pans  and  feeding  troughs  for  squab-breeders,  leaving 
the  time  of  the  owner  free  for  correspondence  and  the  more 
skilful  work. 

The  primary  object  is  to  breed  squabs  for  market  as  cheaply, 
as  easily  and  as  fast  as  possible,  without  the  expenditure  of  a 
dollar  for  fanciful  or  impractical  appurtenances. 

Do  not  think  it  is  necessary  to  heat  your  squab  house.  A 
squab  house  which  has  the  chill  of  dampness  taken  off  it  by 
hot  water  or  steam  pipes  will  raise  more  squabs  than  a  house 
not  heated,  but  a  flock  of  pigeons  in  a  small  house  throw  off 
considerable  heat  from  their  bodies  and  will  breed  in  cold 
weather  all  right.  After  you  have  developed  your  plant  and 
have  a  large  business  which  you  wish  to  keep  at  the  highest 
state  of  efficiency,  you  may  heat  your  squab  house.  The  idea 
of  heat  in  winter  time  is  to  keep  the  birds  more  contented  and 
get  more  squabs  out  of  them,  and  not  at  all  to  keep  them 
alive.  Do  not  be  afraid  that  your  pigeons  will  freeze  to 
death.  We  have  many  customers  in  Canada.  In  coldest 
weather,  the  old  birds  hover  the  squabs  more  carefully. 

City  people  can  keep  pigeons  in  the  garret  of  a  house,  or  the 
loft  of  a  barn,  without  a  foot  of  ground  being  needed.  In 
such  a  case  the  flying  pen,  or  place  to  which  the  pigeons  go 
for  sun  and  air,  can  be  built  out  on  a  platform.  The. illus- 
tration (page  ?4)  shows  how  to  utilize  a  window  of  a  garret. 
If  you  think  that  rats  will  trouble  you  in  either  a  garret  or 
barn  loft,  cover  the  floor  inside,  especially  the  corners,  with 
fine  wire  netting  through  which  it  will  be  impossible  for  the 
rats  to  gnaw  from  below. 

One  of  our  customers  in  Illinois,  a  rich  horse  breeder  having 


36       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

a  barn  some  two  hundred  feet  long,  turned  the  whole 
upper  story  into  a  loft  for  pigeons.  The  flying  pen  takes  in 
the  whole  back  of  the  barn.  There  are  windows  and  no  doors 
on  this  side  of  the  barn,  the  horses  using  doors  on  the  other 
side,  so  this  leaves  the  upper  story  of  the  barn,  and  its  whole 
back-yard,  free  for  the  pigeons. 


A  PRETTY  SQUAB  HOUSE  AND  FLYING  PEN. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  UNIT  HOUSE. 

Best  Possible  Construction  for  a  Squab  Plant — The  Wind- 
Break  Formation  of  Roof  —  Dimensions  of  the  Unit  — 
Multiplying  the  Unit  to  Increase  the  Capacity  of  Your 
Plant  —  A  Passageway  behind  the  Nest  Boxes  —  Number- 
ing the  Nest  Boxes,  and  the  Management  of  a  Card  Index  to 
Correspond  —  Cost  of  the  Unit  Construction  is  from  Three 
Dollars  to  Five  Dollars  a  Running  Foot  —  Working  Drawings 
—  The  Nest  Bowls. 

If  you  have  no  building  already  standing  which  you  can  fix 
over  for  pigeons,  you  may  erect  a  simple  rectangular  structure 
and  line  it  with  nest  boxes  as  we  have  described  in  the  last 
chapter.  We  will  tell  you  in  this  chapter  how  to  put  up  the 
finest  kind  of  a  pigeon  structure.  It  is  at  the  same  time  the 
most  expensive.  It  is  the  best,  the  most  workmanlike.  In 
saying  that  it  is  expensive,  we  do  not  mean  that  money  is 
thrown  away  on  its  construction,  for  that  is  not  so.  It  is  a 
fit  habitation  for  a  money-making  investment. 

This  best  method  of  construction  results  in  what  we  call  the 
unit  house.  You  can  multiply  this  unit  as  many  times  as  you 
please  and  get  as  large  a  house  as  you  wish,  or  you  may  add 
a  unit  from  time  to  time,  just  as  you  add  unit  bookcases  to 
accommodate  the  growth  of  the  modern  library  shelves. 
You  can  erect  these  units  separately,  or  attach  one  unit  to  the 
other  so  that  you  have  one  long  building. 

The  nest  boxes  are  built  of  boxing  and  set  in  a  vertical  row 
at  the  back  of  the  house,  forming  a  wall  between  which  and 
the  north  side  of  the  house  is  a  three-foot  passageway.  You 
can  buy  this  boxing  at  a  saw-mill  all  cut,  ten  by  eleven  inches, 
the  dimensions  of  the  nest,  and  if  you  get  it  in  this  shape  you 
can  put  the  boxes  together  with  as  much  ease  as  a  child  builds 
a  doll's  house.  You  will  have  no  doubts  as  to  the  squareness 
and  plumbness  of  the  structure  when  you  have  it  up.  Take 
long  lengths  of  boxing  eleven  inches  wide  for  the  shelving 
which  should  form  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  nest  boxes,  then 
set  the  ten-inch  by  eleven-inch  pieces  the  proper  distance 

37 


II 


THE   UNIT  HOUSE  39 

The  finished  nest  will  be  eleven  inches  from  front  to 
back,  ten  inches  from  top  to  bottom,  and  about  ten  inches 
from  one  partition  to  the  other  (or  whatever  distance  the 
proper  distribution  of  your  nests  in  pairs  permits). 

We  have  found  five-eighths-inch  boxing  to  be  the  best 
suited.  Build  the  nest  boxes  up  from  floor,  to  roof  perfectly 
plain,  just  as  the  pigeon-holes  of  a  desk  run. 

The  nest  boxes  should  be  perfectly  plain,  made  of  simple 
boxing  in  the  manner  described.  Do  not  build  up  a  piece  of 
boxing  at  the  front  part  of  the  nest  to  prevent  the  nest  bowl 
from  being  pushed  out.  Early  in  our  experience  we  built 
nests  in  this  way,  but  soon  changed  them  over  to  the  simpler 
form,  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  keeping  them  clean.  The 
droppings  bank  up  at  the  front  of  such  a  nest  box. 

Pigeons,  especially  a  new  flock  in  a  new  home,  breed  best 
in  a  house  which  is  somewhat  dark,  and  not  too  glaring  with 
light.  If  your  window  is  situated  so  as  to  let  in  a  flood  of 
light,  you  will  get  better  and  quicker  results  by  shading  it  so 
that  the  interior  will  be  dim.  Some  breeders  advocate  that 
the  nest  boxes  have  fronts  of  wood  (removable)  so  that  thje 
nest  box  will  be  darkened.  The  same  result  will  be  accom- 
plished if  the  window  of  the  house  is  shaded  so  as  to  temper 
the  light  and  prevent  it  from  streaming  into  the  nest  boxes. 

The  dimensions  of  this  unit  squab  house  are  as  follows: 
Length,  sixteen  feet;  width,  twelve  feet;  length  of  flying  pen 
from  end  of  house  to  end  of  yard,  twenty  feet;  distance  from 
floor  of  squab  house  to  ridgepole,  twelve  feet;  two  windows 
in  south  wall  of  squab  house,  each  two  feet  two  inches  wide 
and  three  feet  ten  inches  high.  One  window  in  north  wall  of 
squab  house,  two  feet  two  inches  wide  and  three  feet  ten 
inches  high.  There  is  a  passageway  on  the  north  side  of  the 
squab  house  three  feet  wide,  separating  the  north  wall  from 
the  vertical  row  of  nest  boxes.  The  door  of  the  squab  house 
opens  into  this  passageway  so  that  you  can  enter  the  house 
without  being  seen  by  the  birds,  and  without  disturbing  them. 

If  you  wish,  you  can  set  up  rows  of  nest  boxes  on  the 
east  and  west  walls  of  the  squab  house  and  accommodate  more 
pairs.  You  cannot  have  a  passageway  behind  these  nest 
boxes  on  the  east  and  west  walls,  but  will  approach  them 
from  the  front  by  entering  the  interior  of  the  squab  house 
through  a  wire  door  which  leads  from  the  passageway. 


INTERIOR  OF  MULTIPLE  UNIT  HOUSE. 

This  is  one  of  our  houses.  The  drinking  fountains  stand  in  the  passageway  and 
their  fronts  project  through  the  wire  netting  under  the  first  row  of  nest  boxes.  The 
nest  boxes  are  empty  egg  crates.  The  feed  troughs  are  inside  of  each  pen.  In 
other  houses,  we  set  the  feed  troughs  alongside  the  drinkers  in  the  alleyway  and 
cut  away  the  netting  so  the  birds  can  feed  from  them.  We  like  the  last  arrange- 
ment best  because  the  troughs  can  be  filled  more  quickly  from  the  passageway,  and 
the  time  of  opening  and  closing  doors  and  going  into  pens  is  saved. 


40 


THE    UNIT  HOUSE  41 

Build  the  first  unit  so  that  you  can  extend  it  either  to  the 
east  or  west  (as  your  land  lies)  to  increase  your  accommoda- 
tions. Your  squab  house  will  always  remain  sixteen  feet 
from  north  to  south,  but  it  may  be  either  twelve  feet  from 
east  to  west,  for  one  unit,  or  twenty-four  feet  for  two  units, 
or  thirty -six  feet  for  three  units,  and  so  on.  Of  course  you 
can  build  one  long  house  sixteen  feet  wide  and  in  length  any 
multiple  of  twelve,  and  keep  all  the  birds  you  wish  in  it,  but 
we  do  not  advise  such  an  arrangement.  You  can  keep  track 
of  your  pairs  better  if  you  split  a  big  flock  up  into  unit  flocks. 

Fanciers  breeding  flying  Homers  from  our  birds,  or  squab- 
raisers  who  wish  to  keep  track  of  every  pair  of  birds,  can 
provide  a  card  index  (the  cards  being  perfectly  blank  and 
three  by  five  inches  in  size),  number  the  cards  to  corre- 
spond with  the  nest  boxes,  and  on  these  cards  keep  a  record 
of  what  the  birds  in  the  nest  boxes  do.  These  cards,  which 
are  blank  except  for  the  numbers  they  bear,  can  be  kept  in  a 
tray  such  as  the  manufacturers  of  card  indexes  advertise  in  the 
back  pages  of  the  magazines  and  you  can  pick  out  any  card 
you  wish,  or  turn  to  it,  at  once.  It  is  much  better  than 
keeping  a  record  in  a  book,  for  you  cannot  tear  out -the  leaves 
of  a  book,  as  you  can  throw  away  a  card,  nor  can  you  shift  one 
page  from  one  location  to  another,  as  you  can  a  card  in  a  tray. 

The  floor  of  the  squab  house  rests  on  cedar  posts  and  is 
two  feet  from  the  ground.  The  floor  is  built  of  two  thick- 
nesses of  board,  with  building  paper  between.  The  walls  of 
the  squab  house  are  built  of  boards  which  are  covered  with 
building  paper  and  shingled.  The  roof  is  shingled.  You 
can  use  clapboards  on  the  sides,  or  common  boards. 

The  cost  of  such  a  squab  house,  complete  with  flying  pen 
and  all  inside  fittings,  built  in  the  best  possible  manner,  will 
be  from  three  dollars  to  five  dollars  a  running  foot.  That  is 
to  say,  a  unit  plant  twelve  feet  long  will  cost  from  thirty -six 
to  sixty  dollars.  A  plant  consisting  of  three  units,  thirty-six 
feet  long,  will  cost  from  one  hundred  and  eight  to  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars.  We  publish  and  sell  for  ten  cent? 
working  drawings  showing  just  how  to  build  a  unit  in 
every  detail.  On  the  same  sheet  are  working  drawings 
for  building  a  simple  squab  house  (without  passageway)  to 
cost  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  dollars.  Also  on  the  same 
sheet  we  give  data  showing  how  one  of  our  friends  built  a 


11 


01 


II 

II 
si 


THE   UNIT  HOUSE  43 

squab  house  and  pen  capable  of  accommodating  two  hundred 
and  twenty  pairs  of  breeders  at  a  cost  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty  dollars.  In  ordering,  simply  say  you  wish  plans  and 
specifications  for  squab  houses. 

Some  who  wish  the  best  construction  write  us  to  ask  if  a 
cement  floor  is  not  better  than  a  wood  floor.  It  is  when 
properly  laid,  but  not  when  laid  thinly  and  poorly.  A  thin 
floor  with  a  poor  foundation  looks  good  when  freshly  laid, 
but  the  first  winter  causes  the  dirt  foundation  to  shrink  and 
swell,  then  come  cracks  in  the  cement.  Rats  and  mice  burrow 
in  the  dirt  up  to  the  cement  and  find  their  way  through  the 
cracks  to  the  squabs.  In  a  short  time,  they  are  a  nuisance. 
We  have  seen  a  squab  house  built  with  cement  floor  which 
cracked  as  described  and  every  time  the  owner  and  his  dog 
took  a  walk  down  the  alleyway,  they  found  rats  to  kill. 
Finally  the  whole  lot  of  cement  had  to  be  pounded  to  pieces, 
shoveled  up  and  carted  off.  The  way  to  stop  rats  and  mice 
is  to  erect  the  building  on  posts  as  we  have  described.  Rats 
and  mice  live  in  the  dirt  and  they  cannot  get  up  into  the 
squab  house.  If  a  cement  floor  is  properly  laid  of  sufficient 
thickness  on  a  good  foundation  according  to  our  concrete 
block  squab  house  building  plans  (see  next  page),  it  is  proof 
against  frost,  will  not  crack,  and  will  wear  forever. 

In  our  early  plans  for  the  unit  squab  house,  we  provided 
for  a  building  with  a  "  jog  "  in  the  roof,  making  a  long,  low 
slope  for  the  south  side  of  the  roof,  and  on  this  slope  the 
birds  would  sun  themselves  and  make  love.  This  "  jog  " 
construction  is  more  expensive  than  is  needed,  and  now  we 
have  a  better  way.  We  have  an  ordinary  pitch  roof,  sloping 
equally  from  the  ridgepole  to  both  north  and  south.  We  run 
the  flying  pen  out  on  the  south  side,  not  from  the  ridgepole, 
but  from  the  eaves,  and  then  out  in  the  flying  pen  we  erect 
perches  as  shown  in  the  picture.  The  fact  that  the  birds 
rest  easily  on  these  perches  (as  the  photograph  in  Appen- 
dix A  shows)  is  proof  that  they  are  contented  and  pleased 
by  such  an  arrangement.  We  have  found,  too,  that  they 
can  hear  the  squeaks  of  their  young  for  food  better  than  if 
they  are  up  on  the  roof,  and  better  attention  to  the  squabs 
;s  the  result.  It  was  formerly  thought  unsafe  to  erect  perch- 
ing poles  in  the  flying  pen  directly  in  front  of  the  windows, 
the  fear  being  that  birds  darting  suddenly  out  of  the  windows 


44       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

would  strike  the  perching  poles  and  become  injured.  Such  a 
fear  goes  on  the  assumption  that  a  pigeon  cannot  take  care 
of  itself  in  flight.  They  are  quick  of  eye  and  quick  of  wing, 
and  are  intelligent  to  a  high  degree,  and  we  never  knew  a 
bird  to  be  injured  by  flying  against  horizontal  perches  in  the 
flying  pen.  They  never  strike  them  but  always  fly  between 
them  or  alight  on  them. 

Please  note  particularly  that  if  you  erect  one  long  building 
which  will  be  a  multiple  of  units,  you  separate  these  units, 
both  inside  and  outside  of  the  squab  house,  not  by  board 
partitions,  but  by  wire  partitions.  For  instance,  if  you  have 
a  building  one  hundred  feet  long,  ten  units,  you  will  separate 
the  units  by  nine  wire  partitions,  these  partitions  being  erected 
both  inside  and  outside  the  house. 

NOTE.  On  page  41  we  tell  of  building  plans  which  we  sell 
for  ten  cents.  Those  plans  show  how  to  build  the  unit  squab 
house  of  wood  as  shown  on  page  26  of  this  book,  or,  if  the 
construction  is  extended,  the  multiple  unit  squab  house  of 
wood  as  pictured  on  page  42.  Lately,  on  account  of  the 
increased  cost  of  lumber  and  the  wide  spread  of  the  use  of 
cement,  we  have  had  calls  for  plans  for  a 

CONCRETE  BLOCK  SQUAB  HOUSE. 

We  now  sell  at  ten  cents  plans  for  the  unit  squab  house  of 
concrete  block  construction.  These  show  the  perspective 
view  as  well  as  the  ground  floor  plan  and  elevation.  You 
will  find  probably  in  your  town,  or  nearby,  a  dealer  in  the 
cement  blocks  of  which  this  house  is  built.  The  general 
plan  of  this  concrete  block  squab  house  is  the  same  as  our 
wooden  squab  house,  with  the  exception  that  the  south  side 
has  one  large  pivoted  window  frame  to  be  covered  with  cloth 
(no  glass)  so  as  to  accustom  the  pigeons  to  the  prevailing 
temperature  of  fresh  air  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and  to 
secure  at  all  times  good  ventilation. 

In  ordering  building  plans,  please  specify  whether  you  want 
the  wood  building  plans  or  the  concrete  block  building 
plans.  They  are  ten  cents  each,  or  both  for  twenty  cents. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

NEST  BOWLS  AND  NESTS. 

Do  Not  Use  the  Old- Fashioned  Nest  Pans — -Obvious  Faults 
of  the  Earthenware  Nappy —  The  Wood- Fibre  Nest  Bowl 
— How  the  Pigeons  Choose  Nest  Boxes — What  to  Use  for 
Nesting  Material — How  the  Birds  Manage  their  Nests. 

For  nest  pans,  do  not  use  the  heavy,  deep,  red  clay,  unglazed 
dishes  which  you  may  see  offered  for  sale  as  pigeon  nests. 
They  are  a  relic  of  the  past. 

In  our  early  experience  we  used  for  a  pigeon  nest  bowl 
the  common  kitchen  yellow  earthenware  nappy.  We  em- 
ployed two  sizes,  the  six-inch  and  the  seven-inch,  changing 
from  the  large  one  to  the  small  one  when  the  squabs  were 
two  weeks  old.  These  earthenware  nappies  filled,  the  bill  in 
being  cheap  and  shallow,  and  the  pigeons  deposited  their 
manure  in  a  circle  outside  and  not  inside  the  nest,  but  they 
have  faults  which  are  obvious.  They  are  flat  and  not  round- 
ing on  the  bottom.  When  the  female  pigeon  turns  the  eggs 
(as  she  does  daily,  same  as  a  hen,  in  order  to  give  the  heat  of 
her  body  to  the  whole  shell  and  to  give  fresh  albumen  to  the 
germ)  the  eggs  are  liable  to  roll  apart,  making  it  necessary 
for  the  bird  to  gather  them  together  again,  and  after  two  or 
three  mishaps  like  this  she  is  liable  to  desert  them.  The 
earthenware  is  cold,  breakable  and  can  be  kept  clean  only 
with  water.  The  washing  of  the  nappies  becomes  a  tedious 
task  and  is  often  neglected.  In  winter  weather,  the  earthen- 
ware dishes  become  so  cold  that  one's  fingers  are  numbed 
by  handling  them — and  the  squabs  which  sit  in  them  are 
numbed,  even  frozen. 

Later  we  perfected  a  nest  bowl  made  of  wood  which  met 
every  objection  raised  against  earthenware.  We  sold  thou- 
sands of  them  during  the  two  years  we  had  them  on  the  market 
and  they  gave  good  satisfaction  except  when  some  were 
made  of  improperly  seasoned  lumber,  in  which  case  they 
would  crack  and  split  after  a  few  months'  use.  After  study 
and  experiment  to  remove  this  objection,  we  had  expensive 
patterns  and  moulds  made  and  began  the  manufacture  of 

45 


OLD-STYLE  NEST  PAN.  WATER  DISH.    LARGE  NAPPY.     SMALL  NAPPY. 
Do  not  use  either  the  old-style  pigeon  nest  pan  or  open  water  dish. 


THE  WOOD-  PULP    NEST  BOWL. 

This  is  made  in  one  size  (nine  inches  diameter  of  bowl).  To  give  stability,  the 
bowl  may  be  fastened  to  a  base  by  one  screw.  The  first  picture  shows  the  perspective 
view;  the  second  picture  shows  one-half  cut  away.  This  is  the  most  practical  nest 
pan  for  squab"  raising  and  is  having  an  enormous  sale.  The  bowl  may  be  screwed 
directly  to  the  bottom  of  the  nest  box.  (See  page  48.) 


BATH  PAN  AND  DRINKER.  HAND  BASKET. 

One  bath  pan  to  every  twelve  pairs  of  birds  is  necessary.  The  hand  basket 
(price  $3.50) -is  used  in  large  plants  to  carry  the  squabs  from  the  nests  to  the  killing 
place.  The  squabs  should  not  be  killed  in  sight  of  the  parent  birds. 

46 


NEST  BOWLS   AND    NESTS  47 

these  bowls  out  of  wood  pulp.  Their  success  was  quickly 
demonstrated  and  now  we  sell  nothing  else.  These  wood- 
pulp  nest  bowls  have  all  the  advantages  of  the  wood  bowls 
and  at  the  same  time  are  practically  indestructible,  cannot 
warp  or  split.  The  wood  pulp  of  which  they  are  made  is 
thick  and  exceedingly  tough,  being  solidified  under  many 
tons'  pressure.  We  sell  these  wood-pulp  nest  bowls  in  one 
size  only,  nine  inches  in  diameter.  Price,  eight  cents  each, 
ninety- six  cents  per  dozen,  eleven  dollars  and  fifty- two  cents 
per  gross.  We  make  prompt  shipment  from  Boston  same 
day  order  is  received,  in  any  quantity.  No  order  is  filled  for 
less  than  one  dozen.  We  have  the  exclusive  sale  of  these 
goods  and  they  cannot  be  obtained  elsewhere.  They  are  not 
manufactured  in  the  United  States.  We  import  them. 
Beware  of  imitations. 

The  advantages  of  this  nest  pan  are  these :  (1)  The  eggs  roll 
to  the  centre  and  are  always  close  together  under  the  birds. 

(2)  It  is  warmer  than  earthenware  and  eggs  are  not  chilled. 

(3)  It  is  cleaned  without  water  by  means  of  a  trowel,  and 
may  then  be  whitewashed,  if  desired.     (4)  The  claws  of  the 
old  birds  and  squabs  do  not  sprawl,  and  no  cases  of  deformed 
legs  in  the  squabs  are  found.     (5)   It  is  unbreakable.     (6) 
When  shipped  either  short  or  long  distances,  no  packitig  is 
necessary,  they   are  lighter  and  the  freight  bill  is  smaller. 
(7)  And  finally  the  birds  "  take  "  to  them  more  readily  than 
to  earthenware,  getting  to  work  more  quickly  and  producing 
more  squabs. 

We  make  this  wood  pulp  nest  bowl  in  only  one  size  as 
specified  and  illustrated  (two  sizes  are  not  necessary  because 
the  feet  of  the  squabs  do  not  sprawl  as  in  the  case  of  the 
earthenware  nappies) .  You  will  need  one  pair  of  nest  bowls 
for  every  pair  of  pigeons  (in  other  words,  one  nest  bowl  to 
every  pigeon).  If  you  order  twenty -four  pairs  of  breeders 
you  will  need  forty-eight  nest  bowls.  If  you  order  ninety-six 
pairs  of  breeders  you  will  need  one  hundred  and  ninety-two 
nest  bowls. 

We  know  our  birds  will  breed  more  successfully  in  these 
nest  bowls  than  in  earthenware,  and  to  make  it  an  object 
for  you  to  buy  them,  you  may  deduct  the  freight  charges 
on  nest  bowls  from  your  order  for  birds.  First  order  your 
nest  bowls  sent  by  freight,  then  when  you  order  your  breeders. 


48       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

send  us  your  freight  receipt  and  count  the  amount  as  cash. 
Or  you  may  order  your  birds  at  the  same  time  you  do  the 
nest  bowls  (and  other  supplies)  and  when  you  get  your  freight 
receipt  send  it  to  us.  Orders  for  one  dozen  to  four  dozen 
bowls  should  go  by  express  with  the  birds  (tied  to  the  basket) , 
unless  it  is  desired  to  have  the  bowls  go  with  grain,  grit,  shells, 
etc.,  by  freight. 

Place  one  nest  bowl  in  each  one  of  your  nest  boxes.  Let 
the  pairs  choose  to  suit  themselves.  At  the  end  of  the  month, 
when  you  take  out  the  squabs,  take  out  the  nest  bowl,  clean 
it  and  put  it  back. 

Many  customers  who  do  not  use  egg  crates  or  orange 
boxes,  but  build  their  nest  boxes  of  half -inch  or  five-eighths 
lumber,  have  written  us  that  they  used  the  construction 
which  we  illustrate  on  page  30,  and  which  is  good,  because 
cleaning  can  be  better  done.  The  bottoms  of  the  nest  boxes 
are  removable  and  rest  on  cleats,  as  the  picture  shows.  The 
cleats  are  seven-eighths  or  one  inch  square  and  are  nailed 
to  the  uprights.  When  this  construction  is  employed,  it  is 
not  necessary  that  you  have  a  block  or  base  screwed  to  our 
wood-fibre  nest  bowl.  The  nest  bowl  may  be  screwed 
directly  onto  this  removable  bottom.  If  you  use  egg  crates 
or  solid-built  nest  boxes,  you  will  have  to  give  the  wood- pulp 
nest  bowl  stability  by  screwing  it  to  a  base  of  wood  seven 
inches  square  and  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch  thick. 

When  the  squab  house  is  ready  for  the  birds,  each  of  the 
nest  boxes  has  one  of  these  nest  bowls.  The  pigeons  build 
their  own  nests  in  them,  taking  the  nesting  material  and  flying 
to  the  nest  bowl  with  it.  The  average  nest  has  from  one  to 
two  inches  of  straw  compactly  and  prettily  laid  by  the  birds. 
Some  birds  use  more  nesting  material  than  others.  After  the 
squabs  are  hatched,  they  quickly  show  that  Nature  never 
intended  them  to  have  a  dirty  nest.  When  they  wish  to 
make  manure,  they  back  up  to  the  edge  of  the  nest  and  "shoot" 
outward  and  over  the  edge  of  the  nest  bowl  into  the  nest  box, 
which  is  just  where  the  breeder  wants  to  find  it.  In  a  week 
or  two  there  will  be  a  circle  of  solid  manure  in  the  nest  box, 
but  it  is  out  of  the  nest,  and  off  and  away  from  the  feet  of 
the  squabs.  As  the  squabs  grow  older,  their  claws  tread  and 
throw  out  the  straw  on  which  they  were  hatched,  and  the  nest 
bowl  gets  bare  again  as  it  was  in  the  first  place.  The  small 


NEST  BOWLS  AND  NESTS  49 

amount  of  manure  which  then  sticks  to  it  is  removed  with  a 
trowel. 

The  use  of  this  wood-pulp  nest  bowl  has  lightened  the 
work  a  great  deal  for  they  never  have  to  be  washed.  They 
should  not  be  washed,  for  water  weakens  them,  particularly 
at  the  bottom,  where  the  screw  hole  is.  A  washer  should 
be  put  under  the  screw  head  to  hold  the  bowl  tight  and  to 
prevent  its  turning  while  being  cleaned.  We  ship  these 
washers  and  screws  with  the  bowls. 

The  pigeons  will  not  take  with  mathematical  regularity 
pair  by  pair  the  nest  boxes  which  you  have  provided.  Some 
of  them  will  take  them  in  pairs,  one  adjoining  the  other. 
This  makes  it  convenient  for  you  in  keeping  track  of  them. 
Others  will  take  one  nest  box  in  one  part  of  the  squab  house 
but  go  to  another  part  of  the  squab  house  for  their  second 
nest.  Some  will  not  take  a  nest  box  at  all,  but  will  build  a 
rough  nest  on  the  floor  of  the  squab  house  and  rear  their 
family  there.  Let  them  choose  for  themselves. 

The  nests  are  built  by  the  birds  of  straw,  grass,  hay  or  pine 
needles.  The  birds  fly  to  the  pile,  select  what  wisps  they 
want,  then  fly  to  the  nest  boxes  and  arrange  the  wisps  in 
a  nest  bowl  to  suit  themselves.  Tobacco  stems  are  recom- 
mended for  nesting  material,  because  the  odor  from  them 
will  have  a  tendency  to  drive  away  lice,  but  they  are  not 
necessary  if  the  nest  bowls  are  used  and  ordinary  cleanliness 
observed.  The  tanners  do  not  want  manure  mixed  with 
tobacco  stems  which  have  dropped  down  from  the  nests. 
The  stems,  when  wet  in  the  vat,  stain  the  hides.  When 
tobacco  stems  are  used  for  nesting  material,  it  is  impossible 
to  prevent  many  of  them  from  dropping  to  the  floor,  where 
they  are  tramped  by  the  birds  into  the  manure.  The  tanners 
do  not  care  if  some  straw  and  hay  are  in  the  manure.  Before 
cleaning  out  the  squab  house,  the  loose  straw  and  feathers 
should  be  swept  out  with  a  broom. 

The  best  thing  to  keep  the  nesting  material  in  is  a  berry 
crate.  Fill  it  with  straw  and  hay  (use  the  fine  oat,  not  rye 
straw,  cut  into  six-inch  lengths)  and  shut  down  the  cover. 
Then  when  the  birds  want  nesting  material  they  will  fly  to 
the  vertical  openings  in  the  sides  of  the  berry  crates,  stick 
their  bills  in  and  make  their  selection.  The  cover  of  the  berry 
crate  prevents  the  birds  from  soiling  the  nesting  material. 


50       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

They  will  not  build  nests  with  dirty  nesting  material.  It  must 
be  first-class,  clean,  dry  and  sweet  or  they  will  not  use  it. 

Some  of  our  customers  use  pine  needles  successfully  for 
nesting  material.  We  have  never  tried  them  because  they 
are  not  plentiful  around  our  farm.  Where  they  are  in  abun- 
dance, we  recommend  that  they  be  tried. 

When  a  new  lot  of  pigeons  are  placed  in  a  squab  house, 
they  will  cause  annoyance,  while  they  are  learning  their  new 
home  and  getting  ready  to  go  to  work,  by  making  manure  in 
the  nest  bowls,  where  they  roost.  This  cannot  be  prevented. 
The  remedy  is,  to  clean  once  a  week. 


Fill  this  berry  crate  with  nesting  material  (straw  cut  into  six-inch  lengths,  and 
hay,  mixed  about  equally)  and  place  it  in  centre  of  squab  house.  The  cover  prevents 
the  birds  from  fouling  the  nesting  material.  They  stick  their  bills  through  the  slats, 
select  the  wisps  they  want,  and  fly  to  nests. 


CHAPTER  V, 

WATER  AND  FEED. 

Necessity  of  Pure  Water  and  Plenty  of  it — The  Kind  of 
Drinking  Dish  to  Use  and  the  Kind  Not  to  Use — Manage- 
ment of  the  Drinking  Fountain  and  Bath  Pan — The  Feed 
Trough  and  Self -Feeder — Feeding  Habits — What  Grains 
to  Use — How  to  Mix  Red  Wheat  and  Cracked  Corn — Use 
of  Grit,  Oyster  Shell  and  Salt — How  to  Feed  the  Dainties 
— Keep  Feed  before  Your  Flock  All  the  Time. 

Pure  water  and  plenty  of  it  is  good  for  pigeons.  When  the 
weather  is  not  too  cold,  it  is  the  custom  of  pigeons  to  get 
into  water,  wherever  it  is.  When  they  cannot  bathe  in  it, 
they  will  stick  their  dirty  feet  into  it.  When  they  cannot 
get  in  their  feet,  they  will  douse  their  heads.  They  are  after 
water  all  the  time.  When  feeding  the  squabs,  the  old  bird  will 
fill  up  its  crop  with  grain,  then  fly  to  the  water  and  take  a  drink, 
then  return  and  dole  out  to  the  squabs  the  watery  and  milky 
mixture  on  which  they  fatten. 

The  source  of  drinking  water  should  be  separate  from  the 
bath  pan.  They  will  drink  from  the  bath  pan,  to  be  sure, 
while  the  water  remains  comparatively  clean,  but  after  a  few 
have  bathed  in  it,  it  is  unfit  for  any  bird  to  drink,  and  inside 
of  twenty  minutes  the  pan  is  not  only  covered  with  a  whitish, 
greasy  scum,  but  is  dyed  greenish  from  the  manure  which 
has  washed  off  their  feet. 

There  should  be  drinking  water  inside  the  squab  house, 
provided  you  have  not  a  running  stream  or  some  such  clean 
water  device  in  the  flying  pen. 

The  kind  of  water  dish  you  do  not  want  in  the  squab  house 
is  the  kind  with  the  open  top,  into  which  the  birds  can  wade, 
and  which  they  can  foul  with  their  droppings.  The  best  device 
we  have  found  is  the  self -feeding  fountain,  such  as  we  illus- 
trate on  page  46.  This  fountain  is  made  either  of  crockery 
or  galvanized  steel,  or  iron.  Galvanized  iion  or  steel  is  better 
than  crockery,  because  if  water  freezes  in  such  a  dish  the 
dish  will  not  be  cracked.  It  will  be  seen  by  examination 
of  the  self-drinker  that  it  is  impossible  for  the  pigeons  to  foul 

51 


52       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

the  water.  The  reservoir  holds  quite  a  supply  of  water, 
which  feeds  down  as  fast  as  it  is  drunk  by  the  pigeons.  We 
have  seen  beginners  puzzled  by  these  self -drinking  dishes; 
they  cannot  imagine  why  the  water  does  not  all  run  out  at 
once  by  the  bottom  hole.  It  is  a  simple  principle  in  hydraulics 
which  you  may  demonstrate  to  your  own  satisfaction  by  fill  ng 
an  ordinary  tumbler  with  water  and  then  inverting  it  in  a 
saucer  of  water.  There  is  no  way  for  the  air  to  get  to  the 
inside  of  the  tumbler  except  by  passing  under  the  rim  at  the 
points  where  it  touches  the  saucer,  consequently  it  does  not 
flow  down  unless  the  water  is  removed  from  the  saucer,  and 
then  it  ceases  as  soon  as  the  water  in  the  saucer  rises  ovei 
the  rim  of  the  tumbler  again.  In  fact,  some  self-drinkers 
for  poultry  are  made  of  two  pieces  of  pottery  exactly  on  the 
principle  of  the  tumbler  and  saucer.  These  fountains  are  not 
so  practical  as  the  fountain  which  we  illustrate,  because  a 
pigeon  can  roost  on  the  top  of  it  and  foul  the  saucer  with  its 
droppings.  In  the  fountain  which  we  picture  it  is  impossible 
for  droppings  to  reach  the  mouth  containing  the  water,  even 
if  the  pigeon  is  perched  directly  on  top  of  the  fountain.  The 
barrel  shape  of  the  fountain  makes  it  hard  for  more  than  one 
pigeon  to  perch  at  the  same  time  on  its  top,  but  one  pigeon 
usually  is  found  there.  He  gets  there,  for  the  special  purpose, 
it  seems,  of  fouling  the  water,  but  the  fountain  beats  him 
and  he  can't  do  it.  Neither  can  he  put  his  feet  into  the  water 
unless  he  is  an  extraordinary  gymnast  capable  of  holding  his 
body  out  at  an  angle  to  the  perpendicular.  The  result  is, 
that  in  actual  practice  the  water  keeps  clean,  and  there  is  a 
supply  of  it  ready  about  all  the  time.  A  fountain  of  a  gallon 
capacity  will  keep  two  or  three  dozen  pairs  of  breeders  supplied 
all  day.  The  fountain  is  filled  by  turning  it  on  end*  and 
pouring  water  down  into  the  opening.  If  you  fill  the  fountain 
at  the  same  time  you  fill  the  bath  pan  in  the  morning,  you 
will  have  done  your  duty  by  the  pigeons  for  the  day. 

Cleanse  these  fountains  at  least  once  every  two  weeks 
with  scalding  hot  water  containing  squab-fe-nol  (pigeon 
disinfectant;  see  our  price-list  for  description). 

The  best  place  for  the  bath  pan  is  out  in  the  yard  of  the 
flying  pen.  A  pan  fifteen  inches  in  diameter  is  right  for  a 
flock  up  to  twelve  pairs  of  birds.  The  pan  should  be  from 
four  to  six  inches  deep,  not  over  six  inches,  for  a  pigeon  will 


WATER  AND  FEED  53 

not  bathe  in  water  where  it  would  be  likely  to  drown  if  pushed 
or  sat  on  by  its  mates.  Having  the  bath  pan  in  position  on 
the  ground  of  the  flying  pen,  you  take  to  it  once  each  day, 
in  the  morning,  a  bucket  of  water,  and  pour  the  water  into  the 
pan  Then  you  can  go  away  to  business,  if  you  wish.  The 
pigeons  will  fly  to  the  pan  from  the  interior  of  the  house,  or 
from  the  roof,  wherever  they  happen  to  be.  Some  will 
splash  right  in.  Others  will  perch  on  the  rim  and  drink 
before  they  bathe.  When  the  water  gets  dirty,  they  know 
enough  not  to  drink,  unless  they  are  very  •  sorely  pressed 
indeed  for  water.  The  water  gets  quite  dirty  from  the  bath- 
ing. A  thick,  greasy,  white  scum  forms.  The  pigeons  do 
not  rustle  in  the  dirt,  as  a  hen  does,  but  rely  on  the  water 
to  keep  them  clean  and  dainty.  They  flap  their  wings  in  the 
water  and  enjoy  it  thoroughly.  A  pigeon  will  never  run 
away  from  water,  as  you  will  discover  if  when  you  are  water- 
ing your  lawn  you  turn  the  hose  on  them. 

Let  the  dirty  water  stand  in  the  bath  pan  all  day  if  you 
choose,  or  you  may  go  to  it  an  hour  or  two  after  you  have  filled 
the  pan,  and  empty  the  water.  One  bath  a  day  is  enough. 

If  there  is  a  stream  of  water  running  through  your  property 
handy  to  your  squab  house,  build  your  flying  pen  out  over 
it  and  you  need  never  trouble  with  bath  pans  or  drinking 
water.  If  it  is  a  deep  stream,  you  will  have  to  contrive  a 
shallow  bath  tub  at  the  shore,  or  divert  part  of  the  stream 
into  a  shallow  run.  The  squab  raiser  with  a  stream  of  water 
handy  should  by  all  means  make  use  of  it  and  save  himself  the 
work  of  carrying  water  in  pails. 

The  bath  pan  may  rest  in  a  basin,  if  you  choose,  and  the 
overflow  caused  by  the  splashing  of  the  wings  may  be  con- 
ducted to  a  sewer  and  drained  away.  You  may  conduct 
water  in  pipes  and  have  a  faucet  opening  out  over  the  bath 
pan,  which  faucet  you  may  control  either  directly  or  from 
a  central  station.  An  easy  home-made  arrangement  to  be 
used  in  conjunction  with  the  bath  pan  consists  of  a  wet  sink 
in  which  the  bath  pan  sits,  and  out  of  which  the  splashed 
water  runs.  In  the  winter  it  may  be  advisable  to  give  your 
pigeons  their  bath  in  the  squab  house  instead  of  in  the  yard 
of  the  flying  pen,  in  which  case  you  should  have  some  device 
on  the  wet-sink  principle  to  prevent  the  floor  of  the  squab 
house  from  getting  damp. 


54       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

In  northern  latitudes  it  is  not  necessary  nor  desirable  for 
the  pigeons  to  bathe  on  cold  winter  days.  Wait  until  a  warm 
and  sunny  day  comes.  It  will  do  the  birds  no  harm  to  go 
for  weeks  in  the  winter  without  bathing.  Many  of  our 
customers  write  us  that  they  allow  their  birds  to  bathe  in  the 
winter  seldom  or  not  at  all. 

Feed  may  be  given  to  pigeons  in  a  less  guarded  way,  for 
they  do  not  soil  the  feed  dish  so  freely  as  they  do  the  drinking 
dishes.  You  may  put  the  feed  in  open  troughs  (or  on  a  flat 
board  with  a  rim  around  it)  in  the  squab  house.  If  you 
observe  them  when  eating,  you  will  notice  that  they  stand  up 
to  the  feed  in  a  somewhat  orderly  manner  and  peck  at  its 
contents.  They  do  not  sit  in  the  dish  and  roll  around  in  the 
feed  as  they  do  in  the  water.  But  they  have  one  fault  when 
eating  and  that  is,  to  scatter  the  grains.  They  will  push  in 
their  bills  and  toss  them  around  in  a  search  after  tidbits,  and 
scatter  out  on  the  floor  kernel  after  kernel,  and  it  will  make 
your  bump  of  economy  ache  to  see  this  grain  scattered  around. 
There  do  not  seem  to  be  any  neat,  saving  pigeons  which  go  to 
the  floor  in  the  wake  of  their  prodigal  brethren  and  eat  the 
crumbs.  They  all  have  a  fancy  for  the  first  table  and  they 
get  right  at  it  and  scatter  the  grain  like  the  rest  of  their  fellows, 
and  apparently  the  pigeon  who  scatters  the  most  grain  is  the 
one  which  struts  around  with  the  biggest  front.  The  way 
to  fool  them  is  to  provide  in  the  squab  house  a  covered  trough, 
that  is,  covered  except  at  the  slit  or  points  where  they  stick 
in  their  bills  for  food.  With  a  little  ingenuity  you  can  cover 
an  ordinary  v-shaped  trough  so  that  it  will  be  hard  for  the 
pigeons  to  waste  the  grain.  You  may  have  a  self-feeder  made 
as  big  or  as  small  as  you  choose  and  in  which  the  grain  will 
drop  down  as  it  is  eaten. 

We  will  try  to  present  the  matter  of  feed  as  clearly  and 
fully  as  it  seems  to  us  to  be  possible.  A  woman  in  Santa 
Cruz,  California,  said  she  would  like  to  raise  squabs,  and 
would  begin  by  ordering  her  feed  of  us,  exactly  as  we  recom- 
mended, to  be  sent  to  her  by  freight  from  Boston  via  the 
Southern  Pacific.  A  man  in  Cleveland  ordered  a  quantity  of 
red  wheat  and  cracked  corn  to  be  sent  by  freight  from  us, 
when  there  were  thousands  of  bushels  of  both  staples  in 
elevators  in  his  city,  in  fact  most  of  the  Boston  supply  had 
passed  through  his  city.  We  did  not  like  to  run  the  chance  of 


WATER  AND  FEED  55 

losing  the  order  for  breeding  stock  either  of  the  woman  in 
Santa  Cruz  or  of  the  gentleman  in  Cleveland,  but  we  wrote  to 
both  that  they  ought  not  to  go  into  the  squab-raising  business 
if  they  were  to  be  dependent  on  us  for  grain,  that  it  was  too 
far  to  send  and  that  if  they  would  look  around  home  they 
could  get  what  they  wanted. 

Here  in  New  England  we  feed  to  pigeons  cracked  corn,  red 
wheat,  hemp-seed,  Canada  peas,  kaffir  corn,  —  the  foregoing 
as  a  rule,  and  sometimes,  when  cheap,  buckwheat,  millet  and 
barley. 

It  was  formerly  thought  that  whole  corn  was  not  a  good 
food  for  pigeons,  on  the  theory  that  the  old  pigeons  would  eat 
the  large  kernels  and  then,  perhaps,  feed  them  to  squabs, 
choking  them.  In  practice,  not  one  case  in  one  hundred  like 
that  will  be  found.  Whole  corn  is  much  relished  by  pigeons. 
They  will  eat  it  before  they  will  eat  anything  else,  except 
hempseed,  and  there  is  no  danger  in  using  it.  In  many 
sections  of  the  country,  we  find,  good  cracked  corn  is  not  so 
easy  to  procure  as  good  whole  corn.  The  grain  dealers  take 
their  poor  whole  corn,  sometimes,  and  work  it  over  into 
cracked  corn.  Good  whole  corn  speaks  for  itself  and  when 
you  buy  it  there  is  no  doubt  about  it. 

All  the  time  people  write  to  us  and  say  they  never  heard  of 
red  wheat.  More  write  and  say  they  don't  know  what  kaffir 
corn  is.  Others  are  puzzled  by  hemp-seed,  they  have  never 
seen  any.  That  is  surprising  to  us  here  in  New  England,  but 
no  doubt  we  would  be  just  as  surprised  if  we  were  in  our 
customers'  places. 

Let  us  see  if  we  cannot  level  up  the  whole  country  on  this 
question  of  feed  for  pigeons.  As  a  rule,  we  say,  feed  the 
grains  which  are  nearest  you.  This  country  has  its  corn  belt, 
its  wheat  belt,  its  section  where  millet  is  raised.  Buckwheat 
is  plentiful  in  another  section.  For  your  leading  grain, 
your  staple,  feed  corn.  The  point  to  remember  is  to  feed  a 
variety  of  grains.  Keep  this  word  variety  in  your  mind  all 
the  time  in  dealing  with  your  pigeons.  Their,  appetites  do 
not  grow  keen  on  a  monotonous  diet,  they  will  not  lay  the 
eggs  they  should,  and  their  health  will  not  be  good  on  it. 
Vary  the  diet. 

In  order  to  find  out  what  grains  are  convenient  to  you,  go  to 
your  nearest  grain  dealer  or  country  general  store.  The 


56      NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

dealer  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  knows  nothing  about  pigeons 
and  their  feed  and  if  you  give  him  the  name  of  a  strange  grain, 
he  will  be  liable  to  shy  and  say  he  never  heard  of  it.  The 
trouble  with  him  is  that  he  sells  horse  feed  and  is  accustomed 
to  handling  only  the  grains  which  horses  need.  He  can  get 
the  grains  you  wish  by  writing  to  his  nearest  port  or  railroad 
junction.  There  is  nothing  odd  or  out  of  the  way  about  the 
grains.  They  are  going  from  one  point  to  another  all  the 
time.  Sometimes  they  are  scarce  at  certain  periods  of  the 
year.  For  instance,  nearly  every  fall  there  is  no  kaffir  corn 
at  a  reasonable  price  obtainable  in  Boston,  so  we  do  not  feed 
it  to  our  pigeons  then,  but  cut  it  out  altogether  in  favor  of 
the  grains  selling  at  a  lower  price.  Most  of  the  kaffir  corn 
which  we  get  in  Boston  comes  from  Kansas.  It  is  a  splendid 
feed  for  pigeons.  It  is  small  and  comparatively  soft,  arid  their 
crops  make  easy  work  of  it.  It  is  nourishing  and  they  like 
it.  Maybe  your  grain  man  sells  a  mixture  for  pigeons.  If 
you  will  look  in  this  mixture  you  will  find  probably  kaffir 
corn,  as  well  as  buckwheat  (in  black  kernels),  also  red  wheat 
and  Canada  peas. 

A  liberal  supply  of  Canada  peas  and  hemp-seed  is  necessary 
for  a  good  egg  production. 

Do  not  feed  a  great  excess  of  corn,  in  the  summer 
time.  (By  corn,  we  mean  common  Indian  corn,  not  kaffir 
corn.  Kaffir  corn  is  harmless,  even  when  forced  on  the 
birds.)  The  effect  of  corn  is  to  heat  the  blood.  This  is  what 
you  want  in  the  winter  time,  but  not  in  the  summer. 

Red  wheat  is  better  than  white  wheat  to  feed  to  pigeons 
because  it  is  not  so  likely  to  cause  diarrhoea.  (See  supple- 
ment of  this  book.) 

Beware  of  feediag  too  much  wheat.  Pigeons  fed  on  an 
excess  of  wheat  are  constantly  out  of  condition  with  continual 
diarrhoea  and  will  lay  no  eggs  while  in  that  state.  We  recall 
vividly  cases  of  pigeons  doing  poorly  caused  by  the  owner's 
stupidity  in  feeding  too  much  wheat.  One  customer  in 
Kansas  fed  nothing  but  wheat  and  got  his  birds  so  weak  that 
they  could  not  fly  off  the  ground.  Another  in  California  with 
a  flock  of  over  one  hundred  pairs  had  not  been  able  in  six 
months'  time  to  get  more  than  one  quarter  of  his  birds  at  work. 
He  complained  bitterly  that  his  birds  were  "  not  mated," 
were  all  cocks,  and  so  on,  but  after  further  correspondence 


WATER  AND  FEED  57 

disclosed  that  he  was  feeding  nothing  but  wheat,  with  the 
exception  of  a  handful  of  peas  in  the  middle  of  the  week  and 
a  handful  of  hemp-seed  on  Sunday  ! 

A  properly  balanced  ration  is  necessary  to  egg  production 
in  the  case  of  pigeons,  same  as  poultry. 

Wheat  is  a  good  regulator  for  pigeons  but  corn  is  the  great 
fattener  and  the  main  staple. 

When  anybody  fails  with  pigeons,  if  you  pick  up  and  handle 
the  birds  you  will  find  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  that  they  have 
sharp  breastbones,  which  means  that  they  are  improperly 
nourished,  out  of  condition,  and  of  course  cannot  produce 
eggs  because- they  have  not  the  blood  and  fat  to  do  it. 

All  the  grains  which  you  feed  should  be  old,  hard,  dry  and 
sweet.  If  they  smell  sour  or  taste  bad  to  your  own  tongue, 
don't  feed  them  to  your  pigeons.  Above  all,  keep  your  grain 
dry.  If  you  have  the  grain  stored  in  bins  which  are  damp 
from  ground  water,  or  which  catch  the  drippings  from  the 
eaves,  or  through  holes  in  the  roof,  first  you  will  get  sour  grain 
and  then  some  of  the  grain  will  sprout,  and  this  sprouted  grain 
will  derange  the  bowels  of  your  birds  and  bring  on  dysentery. 
Do  not  let  rank  little  growths  spring  up  in  a  dirty  squab  house 
or  in  the  yard  of  your  flying  pen.  Pigeons  will  peck  at  green 
leaves  and  grass  and  will  not  be  harmed,  but  do  not  give  them 
a  chance  to  peck  up  sprouted  grain  and  eat  the  sprout,  grain 
and  all,  for  if  they  do  they  will  have  diarrhoea.  A  pigeon  in 
good  condition  and  busy  with  a  nest  ordinarily  will  not  touch 
a  nasty  little  green  sprout,  but  in  the  moulting  season,  when 
pigeons  are  in  the  dumps  generally,  and  feeling  like  having  a 
stimulant,  they  will  experiment  with  these  sprouts.  Keep 
the  floor  of  your  squab  house  clean  and  the  yard  of  the  flying 
pen  raked  up  and  you  need  not  worry  about  this  matter. 

Ground  oyster  shell  should  be  placed  in  a  box  handy  for  the 
pigeons  to  get  at.  The  purpose  of  this  oyster  shell  is  to 
provide  the  constituents  of  the  eggshell.  The  female  pigeon 
needs  it  in  order  to  form  the  egg. 

Grit  is  needed  by  the  pigeons  to  enable  them  to  reduce  to 
powder  the  feed  which  they  take  into  their  crops  The 
muscles  of  the  crop  work  the  grit  on  the  grains  and  reduce 
the  grains  so  that  they  mix  with  the  digestive  fluids.  Cart 
two  or  three  bushels  of  gravel  or  sharp  sand  into  your  flying 
pen  and  cover  the  ground  with  it.  It  is  not  necessary  to 


WATER  AND  FEED  59 

cover  the  whole  space  of  the  ground  of  the  flying  pen.  For 
fuller  discussion  of  shells  and  grit,  see  supplement. 

It  is  poor  policy  to  mix  anything  but  wheat  and 
corn  together.  If  you  make  a  mixture  of  peas  and  hemp- 
seed  with  cracked  corn  and  wheat,  you  will  find  that  the 
pigeons  will  dig  down  after  the  peas  and  hemp-seed  and  toss 
the  other  grain  around  and  waste  it.  The  only  mixture, 
therefore,  which  we  feed  is  a  mixture  of  wheat  and  corn. 
Fill  the  self-feeder  with  whole  corn  and  wheat,  in  the  propor- 
tion of  three  parts  of  the  corn  to  one  of  wheat. 

We  call  the  wheat  and  corn  staples,  because  with 
us  in  New  England  they  form  the  major  part  of  the  diet,  and 
are  the  cheapest.  The  hemp-seed,  buckwheat,  Canada  peas, 
kaffir  corn,  millet  and  barley  we  call  dainties.  We  do  not 
feed  much  millet,  because  we  have  the  other  grains,  which 
are  cheapest,  but  some  of  our  customers  in  the  millet  sections 
of  the  country  feed  a  good  deal  of  millet.  In  such  cases  -they 
look  on  millet  as  one  of  their  staples,  and  the  hard-to-get 
grains  are  classed  by  them  as  dainties.  The  staple  grains  of 
which  you  will  feed  the  most  to  your  pigeons  are  the  ones 
which  are  the  cheapest  for  you.  The  more  expensive  grains 
will  be  classed  by  you  as  dainties. 

A  good  way  to  feed  the  dainties  is  to  throw  them  out  on 
the  floor  of  the  squab  house  by  hand.  You  will  see  the 
pigeons  make  a  rush  for  them  and  eat  them  with  as  much 
relish,  as  a  child  eats  candy.  You  should  feed  the  dainties 
about  three  times  a  week,  throwing  handfuls  on  the  floor 
until  you  see  that  the  pigeons  are  satisfied  and  do  not  care  for 
any  more. 

Do  not  throw  any  feed  on  the  ground  of  the  flying  pen,  for 
the  earth  is  liable  to  be  damp,  and  this  dampness  will  sour 
the  grain,  especially  cracked  corn,  and  if  the  pigeons  eat  it, 
they  will  get  sour  crops,  and  the  fluids  from  the  sour  crops  of 
the  parent  pigeons  will  make  the  squabs  sick  and  perhaps  kill 
them.  Do  all  your  feeding  in  the  squab  house  and  your 
pigeons  will  not  have  sour  crops. 

Do  not  lay  in  a  big  stock  of  cracked  corn  at  a  time,  for 
cracked  corn  exposed  to  sudden  changes  of  the  weather  is 
liable  to  take  up  dampness,  and  sour.  Smell  and  taste  it  once 
a  week  or  so  and  determine  to  your  own  satisfaction  that  it 
is  not  sour. 


60       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

Some  squab  breeders  feed  twice  a  day,  as  much  as  the  birds 
will  eat  up  clean,  but  we  do  not  believe  in  that  system  of 
feeding.  Our  own  success,  and  the  success  of  our  customers 
in  squab  raising,  is  based  largely  on  the  fact  that  we  insist  on 
a  continuous  supply  of  food  for  the  pigeons,  when  they  are 
breeding.  Use  the  self-feeder  only  with  birds  that  are  pro- 
ducing squabs.  A  new  flock  should  be  fed  by  hand  twice 
daily  what  they  will  eat  up  clean  in  ten  minutes.  Keep  them 
eager,  active  and  racy.  Do  not  let  them  get  too  fat,  for  if 
you  do  they  will  not  start  laying.  Some  beginners  will  use 
up  weeks  trying  to  get  their  birds  started,  others  get  all  their 
pairs  going  in  a  few  days.  It  is  a  matter  of  skillful  feeding, 
exactly  as  in  the  case  of  hens.  The  best  of  mated  pairs  will 
not  produce  eggs  unless  nourished,  because  the  act  of  copula- 
tion, as  in  the  case  of  hens  and  roosters,  has  nothing  to  do 
with  the  volume  of  egg  production,  but  only  with  the  fertility 
of  eggs. 

Food  should  be  at  hand  in  the  self-feeder  for  birds  which 
are  breeding.  They  do  not  gorge,  as  a  horse  will  if  an  un- 
limited supply  of  food  is  set  before  him.  They  are  not 
gluttons,  like  pigs.  They  do  not  lose  their  racy  shape.  A 
squab  when  hungry  will  squeak  loudly  to  inform  its  parents 
of  that  fact  and  if  you  observe  a  squab  house  where  the  two 
meals  a  day  are  in  vogue,  you  will  note  quite  a  chorus  of 
squeaks.  In  a  house  where  there  is  feed  always  at  hand, 
you  will  not  hear  many  hungry  squeaks.  It  is  greatly  to 
your  interest  that  the  crops  of  your  young  birds  be  filled  with 
food.  The  more  their  crops  are  stuffed  with  food,  the  quicker 
they  will  fatten  and  the  fatter  they  will  get.  The  parent 
birds  should  at  all  times  be  able  to  fill  up  their  crops  with  feed 
and  water  and  then  fly  to  the  nest  to  disgorge  for  the  benefit 
of  the  squabs. 

Squab  breeders  differ  concerning  self-feeders,  same  as 
mothers  differ  about  ways  of  bringing  up  babies.  Each  squab 
breeder  thinks  his  method  of  feeding  is  the  best.  We  speak 
not  wholly  from  our  own  experience,  but  the  experiences  of 
thousands  of  customers  extending  over  many  years.  There 
was  formerly  the  same  prejudice  against  self-feeders  for 
poultry,  until  a  man  in  Ohio,  raising  poultry  with  striking 
success  by  the  aid  of  self-feeders,  made  his  brethren  sit  up  and 
take  notice.  In  our  stories  of  success  printed  at  the  back  of 


WATER  AND  FEED  61 

this  book  and  elsewhere,  are  many  cases  of  small  flocks 
increased  enormously,  and  the  writers  take  pains  to  state 
that  they  are  using  the  self-feeder.  That  is  talk  that  means 
something.  The  loudest  advocate  of  no  self-feeder  is  the 
man  who  is  trying  hard  to  sell  his  Homers  by  some  kind  of  a 
story  different  from  what  we  tell.  It  does  not  matter  to  him 
what  he  says,  so  long  as  he  combats  us.  It  is  the  game  of  such 
chaps  to  contradict  all  others  and  pose  as  the  only  real, 
simon-pure  know-it-alls  on  pigeons. 

Some  small  parent  Homers  are  such  good  feeders,  such  good 
fathers  and  mothers,  that  they  stuff  their  squabs  with  grain 
and  bring  them  up  to  a  surprising  fatness.  We  have  had 
pairs  of  squabs  which  actually  at  four  weeks  of  age  were 
bigger  than  their  parents.  This  is  not  surprising  when  you 
think  that  the  squabs  sit  in  their  nest  hour  after  hour  doing 
nothing  but  accumulate  fat,  and  taking  no  exercise  to  train 
off  this  fat.  The  old  birds  are  flying  around  and  do  not  have 
much  fat  on  them;  they  are  trim  and  muscular,  and  hard 
fleshed.  You  can  tell  an  old  pigeon  after  it  is  cooked  when 
you  put  your  teeth  into  it,  just  as  you  can  tell  an  old  fowl. 

Provide  salt  for  your  pigeons  to  keep  them  strong  and 
healthy.  The  safest  kind  of  sail  for  you  to  use  is  rock  salt, 
such  as  is  sold  for  horses.  Put  a  couple  of  big  lumps  of  it  in 
the  squab  house  and  let  the  pigeons  peck  at  it  when  they  wish. 
Put  two  more  lumps  out  in  the  flying  pen.  When  rain  comes 
the  water  will  wash  some  salt  off  the  lumps  into  the  gravel. 
(Empty  the  bath  pans  upon  the  lumps  of  salt.)  The  pigeons 
will  eat  this  salt-impregnated  gravel  all  around  the  lumps  for 
an  inch  or  so  down  into  the  ground. 

Do  not  feed  powdered  salt,  for  if  you  do  the  birds  may  eat 
too  much  of  it  and  it  will  kill  them.  Coarse  ground  salt  may 
be  used,  but  the  rock  salt  is  best. 

Some  green  stuff  is  much  relished  by  pigeons.  It  is  good 
for  them  and  will  increase  the  egg,  and,  consequently,  squab 
production.  They  are  very  fond  of  cabbage  now  and  then, 
which  should  be  chopped  fine  before  being  fed.  (We  mean 
raw,  not  cooked,  cabbage.)  When  vines  grow  over  the  flying 
pen,  they  will  be  seen  pecking  at  the  green  leaves.  Green 
clover  may  be  cut  up  and  fed  to  them  in  conjunction  with 
grain.  It  should  be  remembered  that  green  stuff,  as  enu- 
merated in  this  paragraph,  is  fed  only  as  a  relish. 


62       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

Table  scraps,  or  what  is  commonly  known  as  swill,  should 
not  be  fed  to  pigeons. 

Rice  may  be  fed,  if  plentiful  and  cheap.  It  has  a  tendency 
to  correct  diarrhoea  caused  by  too  much  wheat. 

Some  of  our  customers  have  been  influenced  by  adverse 
criticism  of  our  self-feeder  to  abandon  it  and  feed  in  open 
troughs,  but  they  have  gone  back  to  the  self-feeder.  One  of 
these  customers  was  Mr.  Tyson,  who  started  with  several 
hundred  pairs  of  our  birds  three  years  ago  and  now  (1907)  has 
the  largest  and  best  plant  in  the  State  of  New  Hampshire. 
His  wife  and  son,  with  himself,  have  attained  a  high  degree  of 
skill  and  proficiency  in  the  handling  of  their  pigeons.  The 
squabs  they  are  breeding  weigh  at  least  nine  pounds  to  the 
dozen.  They  ship  to  New  York  City,  where  they  get  very 
high  prices.  Mr.  Tyson  started  by  using  the  self-feeder  for 
grain,  as  we  advise,  but  being  influenced  by  something  seen  in 
print,  abandoned  it  and  gave  the  open-trough  method  of  feed- 
ing, twice  or  three  times  a  day,  a  thorough  trial.  Immediately 
the  birds  began  to  fall  off  in  production,  and  the  squabs  fell 
off  in  weight,  some  lots  getting  so  skinny  as  to  lose  nearly  two 
pounds  to  the  dozen.  That  experience  was  enough.  The 
Tysons  went  back  to  the  self-feeder  and  now  their  squabs  are 
plump,  as  they  were  in  the  first  place,  the  old  birds  are  in 
better  condition,  and  breeding  better. 

Do  not  put  into  the  self-feeder  a  great  lot  of  grain,  but  only 
enough  to  last  about  two  days.  A  great  quantity  is  liable  to 
take  up  moisture  in  a  spell  of  rainy  weather  and  go  stale,  and 
is  not  relished  by  the  birds  as  if  it  were  supplied  fresh  every 
two  or  three  days. 

Remember  that  grit  is  not  oyster  shell,  nor  is  oyster  shell  grit. 
You  must  have  both.  We  sell  tons  of  our  Plymouth  Rock 
health  grit,  and  it  is  the  best  economy  to  feed  it.  We  have  sold 
it  for  twelve  years  and  our  customers  recommend  it  unre- 
servedly. We  are  shipping  it  constantly  all  over  the  Eastern 
part  of  the  United  States.  We  pay  the  freight  on  orders  of  300 
pounds  and  upwards.  (If  you  live  in  the  far  West,  the  freight 
rates  are  prohibitive  but  if  you  live  there  and  buy  pigeons  of 
us,  we  will  tell  you  how  to  get  it  there.)  Beware  of  imitations 
of  the  Plymouth  Rock  health  grit,  the  "  just  as  good  "  kinds, 
etc.  See  page  116  of  this  book  for  directions  for  feeding  our 
health  grit.  See  page  286  for  a  photograph  of  it. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

LAYING  AND  HATCHING. 

/ 

Laying  an  Egg  is  under  the  Control  of  the  Pigeon's  Mind — • 
Fertile  and  Infertile  Eggs — How  the  Cock  Drives  the  Hen — 
One  Day  between  Eggs  —  Hatch  after  Seventeen  Days 
— How  Squabs  are  Fed  by  the  Par  en1  Birds — Mating 
Males  and  Females —  Use  of  the  Mating  Coop — Determina- 
tion of  Sex — Color  of  Feathers  Has  No  Effect  on  Color  of 
Flesh— Pigeons  Left  to  Themselves  Will  Not  Inbreed — No 
Inbreeding  Necessary  even  if  you  Start  wijh  a  Small  Flock. 

The  hen  pigeon  builds  the  nest.  When  the  nest  is  built, 
the  cock  begins  to  "  drive  "  the  hen  around  the  house  and 
pen.  In  a  flock  of  breeding  pigeons  you  always  will  .see  one 
or  two  cocks  "  driving  "  their  mates,  pecking  at  them  and 
nagging  them  with  the  purpose  of  forcing  them  onto  the  nest 
to  lay  the  eggs.  The  cock  seems  to  take  more  interest  in  the 
coming  family  than  the  hen. 

The  hen  lays  one  egg  in  the  nest,  then  skips  a  day  and  lays 
the  second  egg  on  the  third  day.  Seventeen  days  after  being 
laid  the  eggs  hatch.  The  egg  first  laid  hatches  a  day  before 
the  second,  sometimes,  but  usually  the  parents  do  not  sit 
close  on  the  first  egg,  but  stand  over  it,  and  do  not  incubate 
it.  Sometimes  one  squab  may  get  more  than  its  share  of 
food,  and  the  younger  one  will  weaken  and  die.  This  seldom 
happens  but  if  you  see  one  squab  considerably  larger  than  the 
other,  the  thing  to  do  is  to  exchange  with  a  squab  from 
another  nest  that  is  nearer  the  size  of  the  remaining  squab. 
The  old  birds  will  not  notice  the  change  but  will  continue 
feeding  the  foster  squab. 

The  process  of  laying  an  egg  is  a  mental  operation.  We 
mean  by  this  that  it  is  not  a  process  which  goes  on  regularly 
in  spite  of  all  conditions.  The  hen  forms  the  egg  in  her  body 
and  lays  it  when  she  is  in  condition  to,  and  when  she  wants 
to,  not  when  she  is  forced  to.  In  other  words,  the  hen  lays 
when  conditions  are  satisfactory  to  her.  That  she  forms  the 
egg  at  will  is  proven  by  many  things,  principally  by  the  fact 
that  she  allows  one  day  to  come  in  between  the  first  and 

63 


THE  QUICK  GROWTH  OF  SQUABS  FROM  EGGS  TO  KILLING  AGE 

IN  FOUR  WEEKS  IS    ILLUSTRATED  ON  THIS  PAGE, 

PAGE  66  AND  PAGE  68. 


EGGS  IN  THE  NEST. 


SQUABS  JUST  HATCHED. 


64 


LA  YING  A  ND  HA  TCHING  65 

the  second  eggs.  No  doubt,  after ^she  has  laid  the  first  egg, 
she  hurries  the  other  along  and  lays  it  as  soon  after  the  first 
as  she  can,  and  it  takes  forty-eight  hours  for  the  egg,  complete 
in  its  wonderful  construction,  to  form.  Hen  pigeons  in  a  ship- 
ping crate  or  close  coop  do  not  lay  eggs,  because  they  know 
that  there  are  no  facilities  there  for  raising  young.  Once  in 
a  while  you  will  find  an  egg  in  a  shipping  crate  when  the 
birds  are  taken  out,  but  it  is  a  comparatively  rare  occurrence. 

Of  course,  in  order  to  lay  a  fertile  egg,  the  hen  pigeon 
must  have  received  the  attention  of  the  cock  bird.  It  is 
common  for  a  hen  pigeon  at  five  months,  and  sometimes 
four,  to  lay  an  egg,  but  as  a  rule  those  first  eggs  from  a  young 
hen  are  not  fertile  because  she  has  not  yet  mated  with  the 
cock  bird.  You  can  tell  by  holding  the  egg  up  to  the  light 
-.fter  it  is  five  or  six  days  old.  If  no  embryo  shows,  the 
egg  may  be  destroyed.  In  starting  a  flock,  always  purchase 
the  adult,  mature  breeders.  We  formerly  repeated  the  state- 
ment from  hearsay  that  the  male  pigeon  may  lose  vitality 
when  from  six  to  ten  years  old,  but  this  is  not  so,  as  we 
know  now  from  experience  that  customers  to  whom  we  sold 
six  to  eight  years  ago  are  breeding  at  the  same  rate  the  same 
pigeons  with  which  they  started,  and  they  were  from  one  to 
two  years  old  when  sold. 

From  the  day  of  its  hatching  to  market  time  the  squab 
is  fed  by  its  parents.  The  first  food  is  a  liquid  secreted  in 
the  crop  of  both  cock  and  hen,  and  called  pigeons'  milk. 
The  parent  pigeons  open  their  bills  and  the  squabs  thrust 
their  bills  within  to  get  sustenance.  This  supply  of  pigeons' 
milk  lasts  from  five  to  six  days.  It  gradually  grows  thicker 
and  in  a  week  is  found  to  be  mixed  with  corn  and  wheat  in  small 
particles.  When  about  ten  days  old,  the  squabs  are  eating 
hard  grain  from  the  crops  of  the  mature  cock  and  hen.  They 
fill  up  -at  the  trough,  then  take  a  drink  of  water  and  fly  to 
the  nest  to  minister  to  the  little  ones.  You  see  how  im- 
portant it  is  to  have  food  available  at  all  times. 

In  fourteen,  fifteen  or  sixteen  days  after  the  first  pair  of 
squabs  have  been  hatched,  the  cock  begins  "  driving  "  the 
hen  again.  This  shows  the  necessity  of  a  second  nest  for  the 
pair.  In  this  second  nest  the  hen  lays  two  more  eggs,  and 
the  care  of  the  first  pair  of  squabs,  now  between  two  and  three 
weeks  old,  devolves  upon  the  cock.  When  this  pair  is  four 


SQUABS  ONE  WEEK  OLD. 


SQUABS  TWO  WEEKS  OLD. 


1 
LAYING  AND  HATCHING  67 

weeks  old,  it  is  taken  out  of  the  nest  and  killed  and  both  the 
mature  birds  are  concerned  then  only  with  the  new  hatch. 
This  sequence  of  eggs  and  hatches  goes  on  all  the  time.  - 

If  there  are  not  two  nests,  the  two  new  eggs  will  be  laid  in 
the  nest  where  are  the  growing  squabs.  The  parents  in  their 
eagerness  to  sit  on  the  new  eggs  will  push  the  squabs  out  of 
the  nest  and  they  will  die  for  lack  of  sustenance. 

The  hen  lays  the  eggs  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
The  cock  and  hen  take  turns  at  covering  the  eggs,  the  hen 
sitting  during  the  night  until  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
when  the  cock  relieves  her,  remaining  on  until  the  latter  part 
of  the  afternoon. 

When  the  squabs  are  taken  out  for  market  at  the  end  of  four 
weeks,  the  nest  bowl  and  nest  box  should  be  cleaned.  If 
this  cleaning  is  done  once  a  week,  no  trouble  from  parasites 
will  result.  In  the  summer  it  is  well  to  add  a  little  carbolic 
acid  to  the  whitewash  as  an  extra  precaution.  Sprinkle 
unslaked  lime  on  the  floor  of  the  squab  house  and  in  the  nest 
boxes,  and  spiay  squab-fe-nol  freely. 

One  way  of  mating  or  pairing  pigeons  is  to  turn  males  and 
females  in  equal  number  into  the  same  pen.  They  will  seek 
their  own  mates  and  settle  down  to  steady  reproduction. 
Another  method  is  to  place  the  male  and  female  which  you 
wish  to  pair  in  a  mating  coop  or  hutch.  In  the  course  of  a  few 
days  they  will  mate  or  pair  and  then  you  may  turn  them  loose 
in  the  big  pen  with  the  others.  The  latter  method  is  necessary 
when  improving  your  flock  by  the  addition  of  new  blood,  or 
when  keeping  a  positive  record  of  the  ancestry  of  each  pair. 
By  studying  your  matings,  you  may  improve  the  efficiency 
of  your  flock. 

In  the  case  of  a  new  flock  of  pigeotis  shipped  to  a  new 
home,  all  do  not  go  to  work  at  the  same  time.  Those  pairs 
which  get  to  work  first  are  bothered  by  the  slower  pairs.  To 
judge  from  the  advertisements  of  som^breeders,  anxious  to 
claim  everything  for  their  birds  and  their  wonderful  matings, 
the  beginner  would  think  that  all  the  birds  he  buys  from  them 
will  go  to  work  immediately  when  released  in  their  new  home. 
This  is  far  from  the  truth.  The  pairs  will  go  to  work  to  suit 
themselves  as  to  time.  Some  will  be  quick,  others  slow.  As 
fast  as  each  pair  goes  to  work,  it  should  be  caught  and  placed 
in  the  breeding  pen.  The  first  pen,  into  which  the  birds 


SQUABS  THREE  WEEKS  OLD. 


SQUABS  FOUR  WEEKS  OLD. 
Ready  to  be  killed  for  Market. 


LAYING  AND  HATCHING  69 

were  put  on  arrival,  then  can  be  used  for  the  rearing  pen  for 
youngsters  raised  in  the  breeding  pen. 

In  case  a  pigeon  loses  its  mate  by  death  or  accident,  the  sex 
of  the  dead  one  must  be  ascertained.  The  live  one  should  be 
removed  from  the  pen  and  placed  in  the  mating  coop  with  a 
pigeon  of  the  opposite  sex. 

The  mating  coop  should  have  a  partition  of  lattice  work  or 
wire.  Place  the  cock  in  one  side,  the  hen  in  the  other,  and 
leave  them  thus  for  two  or  three  days  to  flirt  and  tease  each 
other,  then  remove  the  central  lattice  work  or  wire  and  they 
usually  will  pair,  or  mate.  If  they  show  no  disposition  to 
pair  but  on  the  contrary  fight,  replace  the  partition  and  try 
them  fcxr  two  or  three  days  longer.  If  they  refuse  to  pair 
after  two  or  three  thorough  trials,  do  not  experiment  any 
more  with  them,  but  select  other  mates. 

The  determination  of  the  sex  of  pigeons  is  difficult.  The 
bones  at  the  vent  of  a  female  are  as  a  rule  wider  apart 
than  of  a  male.  If  you  hold  the  beak  of  a  pigeon  in  one 
hand  and  the  feet  in  the  other,  stretching  them  out,  the 
male  bird  usually  will  hug  his  tail  close  to  its  body  —  the 
female  will  throw  her  tail.  The  best  way  to  determine  the  sex 
is  to  watch  the  birds.  The  male  is  more  lively  than  the 
female,  and  does  more  cooing,  and  in  flirting  with  her  usually 
turns  around  several  times,  while  the  female  seldom  turns 
more  than  half  way  around.  The  male  may  be  seen  pecking 
at  the  female  and  driving  her  to  nest.  When  one  pigeon  is 
seen  chasing  another  inside  and  outside  the  squab  house, 
the  driven  one  is  the  female  and  the  driver  her  mate. 

Neither  the  squab  breeder  nor  the  flying-Homer  breeder 
is  much  concerned  about  the  color  of  feathers.  There  are 
blue  checkers,  red  checkers,  black  checkers,  silver,  blue, 
brown,  red,  in  fact  about  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow.  Color 
has  no  relation  to  the  ability  of  a  pair  to  breed  a  large  pair  of 
squabs.  We  wish  specially  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  the 
color  of  the  feathers  has  no  influence  on  the  color  of  the  skin 
of  the  squab.  A  white  feathered  bird  does  not  mean  a  white- 
skinned  squab.  The  feed  affects  the  color  of  the  meat  a  little. 
A  corn-fed  pigeon  will  be  yellower  than  one  fed  on  a  mixture. 
Squabs  with  dark  skins  (almost  black  in  some  cases)  are  the 
product  of  blood  matings.  The  trouble  with  a  dark-colored 
squab  is  in  the  blood  and  the  only  remedy  is  to  get  rid  of  them 


THE  MATING  COOP. 

One  way  of  mating  squab  breeders  is  to  turn  cocks  and  hens  in  equal  numbers 
Into  the  same  pen.  The  mating  COOD  is  used  when  the  breeder  wishes  to  pair  a 
certain  male  with  a  certain  female.  The  above  mating  coop  is  divided  by  a  partition. 
The  cock  is  placed  on  one  side  of  the  partition,  the  hen  on  the  other,  as  pictured. 
They  are  left  thus  for  a  day  or  two  to  tease  each  other  Then  raise  the  partition, 
or  take  it  out,  and  allow  them  to  approach  each  othc.  when  they  usually  will  be 
found  to  have  formed  an  attachment.  This  being  the  case,  they  may  be  put  into 
the  large  pen  with  the  other  birds,  where  they  will  find  a  nest  box  and  go  to  house- 
keeping. If  they  fight  when  the  partition  is  removed,  try  again,  or  try  other  mates. 
The  coop  pictured  above  is  two  feet  long,  one  foot  wide  and  one  foot  deep. 


70 


LAYING  AND  HATCHING  71 

either  by  killing  the  parents  or  by  remating.  Usually  the 
trouble  comes  from  one  parent  bird,  which  you  find  by  turning 
up  the  feathers  and  examining  the  skin.  Having  found  the 
bird  which  is  at  fault,  kill  it.  This  point  has  come  up  con- 
tinually in  our  correspondence.  The  erroneous  belief  that 
white-feathered  birds  produce  the  whitest-skinned  squabs 
seems  to  be  widespread  and  we  are  asked  sometimes  for  a 
flock  of  breeders  "  all  white."  Our  experience  with  all  white 
Homers  is  that  they  are  smaller  and  have  less  stamina  than 
the  colored  ones.  The  marketmen  will  take  two  cr  three  pairs 
of  dark-skinned  squabs  in  a  bunch  without  comment,  but 
an  excess  of  dark  ones  will  provoke  a  cut  in  price.  Breeders 
who  are  shipping  only  the  undressed  squabs  should  pluck 
feathers  now  and  then  to  see  just  what  color  of  squabs  they 
are  getting.  The  dark-colored  squabs  are  just  as  good  eating 
as  the  light-colored  ones,  but  buyers  for  the  hotels  and  clubs, 
and  those  who  visit  the  stalls,  generally  pick  out  the  plump 
white-skinned  squabs  in  preference  to  the  plump  dark-skinned 
ones.  As  a  rule,  squabs  from  Homer  pigeons  are  white- 
skinned — the  dark-colored  squab  is  an  exception. 

Many  beginners  wish  to  know  if  it  will  be  all  right  for  them 
to  buy  a  flock  and  keep  it  in  one  house  for  six  months  or  a 
year,  paying  no  attention  to  the  mating  or  pairing  of  the 
young  birds,  but  leaving  that  to  themselves,  so  as  to  get 
without  much  trouble  a  large  flock  before  the  killing  of  the 
squabs  for  market  begins.  Certainly,  you  may  do  this, 
providing  extra  nest  boxes  from  time  to  time  until  your 
squab  house  has  been  filled  with  nests;  then  you  will  have 
to  provide  overflow  quarters.  We  are  asked  if  the  flock  will 
not  become  weakened  by  inbreeding,  that  is,  a  brother  bird 
mating  up  to  a  sister,  by  chance.  According  to  the  law  of 
chances,  such  matings  would  take  place  not  very  often. 
Pigeons  in  a  wild  state,  on  the  face  of  a  cliff,  or  in  an  abandoned 
building,  would  pair  by  natural  selection.  The  stronger 
bird  gets  the  object  of  its  affection,  the  weaker  one  is  killed 
off  or  gets  a  weaker  mate,  whose  young  are  shorter-lived,  so 
the  inevitable  result  is  more  strength  and  larger  size.  Nature 
works  slowly,  if  surely.  A  lot  of  pigeons  in  one  pen  mating  or 
pairing  as  they  please  when  old  enough  is  the  natural  way, 
and  if  you  follow  this,  you  cannot  go  very  far  wrong.  We 
advocate  matings  by  the  breeder  because  it  hurries  Nature 


72       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

along  the  path  which  makes  most  money  for  the  breeder. 
We  all  know  how  Darwin  studied  natural  and  forced  selection 
of  pigeons.  He  took  one  pigeon  with  a  certain  peculiarity, 
say  a  full  breast,  and  mated  it  to  another  pigeon  with  a  full 
breast.  The  squabs  from  these  birds,  when  grown,  had 
breasts  fuller  than  their  parents.  Then  these  in  turn  were 
mated  to  full-breasted  pigeons  from  other  parents,  and  the 
grandchildren  had  even  larger  breasts.  Darwin's  experi- 
ments covered  a  period  of  over  twenty  years  and  in  this  time  he 
developed  li'.tle  faults  and  peculiarities  to  an  amazing  degree. 
Every  intelligent,  careful  pigeon  breeder  is  striving  by  his 
forced  matings  to  push  along  the  path  of  progress  the  peculiar- 
ity in  pigeons  which  is  his  specialty.  The  breeder  who  selects 
most  carefully  and  keeps  at  it  the  longest  wins  over  the 
others.  By  selecting  from  your  best  and  most  prolific 
breeders  the  biggest  and  fattest  squabs,  keeping  them  for 
breeders  and  mating  so  as  to  get  something  larger  and  plumper, 
you  are  all  the  time  getting  bigger  squabs.  Every  breeder 
of  squabs  has  it  in  his  power  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  his 
flock  by  studying  his  matings.  There  is  commerical  satis- 
faction in  breeding  for  size  and  plumpness  because  it  pays 
at  once,  and  at  the  same  time  the  breeder  has  the  satisfaction 
of  increasing  the  stamina  and  variety  of  pigeons. 

To  be  master  of  the  matings,  the  breeder  should  band  his 
squabs.  As  soon  as  they  are  weaned  (that  is,  as  soon  as  the 
breeder  sees  them  flying  to  the  feed  and  eating  it)  they  should 
be  taken  and  put  into  one  of  the  rearing  pens.  When  about 
six  months  old,  the  breeder  should  begin  mating  them  by 
selection,  using  the  mating  coop,  then  when  they  are  mated 
turn  the  pair  into  a  working  pen  with  other  adult  birds.  By 
looking  at  the  number  on  the  band  of  each  bird,  then  on  your 
record  card,  you  know  how  to  avoid  mating  up  brother  and 
sister. 

When  the  young  birds  are  just  over  four  weeks  old,  or 
between  four  and  six  weeks,  they  are  able  to  fly  a  little,  and 
if  they  do  not  hop  out  of  the  nest  (or  are  not  pushed  out  by 
the  parents)  you  may  push  them  out  yourself.  They  r.rs 
now  able  to  feed  themselves.  If  these  young  birds  are  left 
in  the  squab  house,  they  will  bother  the  old  birds  by  begging 
for  food,  and  this  infantile  nagging  will  hinder  the  regular 
breeders  in  their  next  hatch,  so  the  very  best  thing  to  do  is 


LAYING  AND  HATCHING  73 

to  put  the  young  birds  by  themselves  into  a  rearing  pen, 
where  they  cannot  bother  anybody. 

Of  course  there  is  likely  to  be  a  little  inbreeding  when  you 
'eave  the  birds  to  choose  for  themselves,  but  not  much.  If 
the  breeder  has  not  the  time  to  make  forced  matings,  then 
he  may  not  care  to  make  them.  Remember  in  mating  that 
li::e  begets  like.  The  parent  bird  that  feeds  its  young  the 
most,  and  most  often,  will  raise  the  biggest  squab.  Some- 
times a  parent  bird  will  have  fine  nursing  abilities  and  will 
stuff  its  offspring  with  food.  These  good-feeding  qualities 
are  transmitted  from  one  generation  to  another  and  are  as 
much  under  the  control  of  the  breeder  as  size  and  flesh-color. 
Your  biggest  squabs  will  be  found  to  have  an  extra-attentive 
father  or  mother,  or  both.  A  pigeon  with  a  dark  skin,  if 
mated  to  a  white-skinned  bird  will  produce  a  mulatto-like 
squab.  It  is  the  large,  fat,  white-fleshed  squab  which  you  are 
after.  Disregard  the  color  of  the  feathers  when  mating. 
If  when  plucking  your  squabs  you  come  across  a  "nigger," 
that  is,  a  squab  with  a  dark  skin,  find  out  what  pair  of  breeders 
it  came  from  and  whether  the  cock  or  the  hen  is  at  fault, 
and  get  rid  of  the  faulty  one.  It  is  important  to  start  with 
adult  birds  that  are  not  related,  then  you  will  not  begin 
inbreeding.  That  is  why  we  make  a  special  effort  with  our 
adult  birds  to  have  them  unrelated. 

Some  letters  from  customers  make  plain  to  us  that  a  clear 
knowledge  of  what  inbreeding  means  is  not  possessed  by 
everybody.  Several  have  written  to  this  effect:  "  If  I  buy 
two  or  three  dozen  pairs  from  you  to  start,  how  can  I  increase 
the  size  of  my  flock  without  inbreeding?"  When  (1)  a 
brother  is  mated  to  sister  or  (2)  a  father  to  a  daughter,  or  (3) 
a  mother  to  a  son,  or  (4)  a  grandson  to  his  grandmother,  etc. 
.that  is  inbreeding.  We  know  it  is  forbidden  by  law  for 
human  beings  to  mate  in  that  manner,  because  (a)  God  in  the 
Scriptures  has  forbidden  it,  and  (6)  because  the  State  does 
not  wish  to  have  to  care  for  the  puny,  weak-minded  offspring 
that  would  result  from  such  unions.  We  all  know  that  the 
marriages  of  cousins  often  result  in  demented,  diseased  chil- 
dren. Now  suppose  you  buy  two  dozen  pairs  of  pigeons  of 
us,  and  number  them  pairs  one  to  twenty-four.  If  you  mate 
the  offspring  of  pair  two  (or  any  other  pair)  to  the  off  spring  of 
pair  one  (or  any  other  pair)  that  is  outbreeding  or  cross- 


74       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

breeding.  What  you  do  not  do,  and  what  you  try  to  prevent, 
is  the  mating  of  the  offspring  of  pair  number  one  (or  any  other 
pair)  to  each  other.  So,  you  see,  if  you  have  a  dozen  or  two 
pairs,  you  need  never  inbreed,  for  there  is  an  infinite  variety 
of  matings  possible.  Breeders  of  animals  sometimes  inbreed 
purposely  in  order  to  get  better  color  of  fur  or  plumage,  or 
finer  bones,  etc.  There  are  no  brothers  and  sisters  in  the 
flocks  we  sell.  If  you  buy  one  dozen  or  twenty  dozen  pairs 
of  breeders  of  us,  the  pairs  will  be  unrelated,  and  you  need 
never  inbreed.  We  never  heard  a  real  pigeon  breeder  worry 
much  about  inbreeding,  because  the  likelihood  of  it  in  a  flock 
of  even  a  dozen  pairs  is  extremely  remote,  as  we  have  demon- 
strated above. 


PIGEONS  IN  ST.  MARK'S  SQUARE,   VENICE. 

Get  acquainted  with  the  pigeons  which  you  buy  of  us,  and  let  them  get  ac- 
quainted \vith  you.  They  will  work  all  the  better  for  being  tame  and  docile.  These 
pigeons  in  Venice  are  fed  by  tourists  on  corn  only.  A  peddler  selling  whole  corn 
for  two  cents  a  package  sits  all  day  long  on  the  steps  at  the  base  of  the  monument. 
Several  photographers  in  the  square  make  a  specialty  of  taking  pictures  of  tourists 
feeding  the  pigeons;  snap  shots  by  amateurs  are  constantly  being  made.  In  this 
city  of  canals,  these  pigeons  get  no  grit,  in  fact  nothing  but  the  corn,  and  they  would 
die  if  obliged  to  pick  up  a  living  for  themselves.  They  are  healthy,  proving  the 
incorrectness  of  the  assertion  that  a  feed  of  nothing  but  corn  will  cause  canker. 
They  are  small,  however,  of  stunted  growth.  They  are  so  tame  that  they  will  percn 
on  your  hand  and  eat  grains  of  corn  held  in  your  lips. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

INCREASE  OF  FLOCK. 

It  is  Possible  to  Breed  One  Pair  of  Squabs  Each  Month,  but 
in  Actual  Practice  this  is  Seldom  Attained — The  Squab 
Raiser  with  Pure  Thoroughbred  Homers  should  Count  on 
Six  to  Nine  Pairs  of  Squabs  a  Year— The  Common  Pigeon 
Breeds  Only  Four  or  Five  Pairs  of  Squabs  a  Year,  but 
Eats  as  Much  or  More  than  1he  Homer — Differences 
between  the  Homer  and  the  Common  Pigeon — Good  Homers 
Scarce  and  the  Market  for  them  Firm  and  Steady. 

It  is  theoretically  possible  for  a  pair  of  pigeons  to  breed 
twelve  pairs  of  squabs  a  year,  for  it  takes  only  seventeen 
days  for  the  eggs  to  hatch,  and  the  hen  goes  to  laying  again 
when  the  hatch  is  only  two  weeks  old.  So,  if  you  start  with 
twelve  pairs  of  Homer  pigeons,  and  they  should  breed  one 
pair  of  squabs  a  month,  at  the  end  of  the  first  month  you 
would  have  twenty -four  squabs;  at  the  end  of  the  second 
month,  forty-eight  squabs;  at  the  end  of  the  third  month, 
seventy-two  squabs;  at  the  end  of  the  fourth  month,  ninety- 
six  squabs;  at  the  end  of  the  fifth  month,  one  hundred  and 
twenty  squabs.  Now  the  first  lot  of  squabs  which  your  birds 
hatched  will  be  ready  to  mate  and  lay  eggs,  so  at  the  end  of 
the  sixth  month  you  should  have  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
eight  squabs;  at  the  end  of  the  seventh  month,  two  hundred 
and  forty  squabs;  at  the  end  of  the  eighth  month,  three 
hundred  and  thirty-six  squabs;  at  the  end  of  the  ninth 
month,  four  hundred  and  fifty-six  squabs;  at  the  end  of  the 
tenth  month,  six  hundred  squabs;  at  the  end  of  the  eleventh 
month,  seven  hundred  and  sixty-eight  squabs,  and  at  the  end 
of  the  twelfth  month,  nine  hundred  and  sixty  squabs.  Such 
figures  are  purely  theoretical  and  are  seldom  attained  in  actual 
practice.  You  will  have  some  pairs  in  your  flock  which 
will  raise  ten  and  eleven  pairs  of  squabs  a  year,  but  the 
average  will  be  seven  to  nine  pairs  of  squabs  a  year.  If  you 
get  less,  your  flock  is  not  pure  thoroughbred  Homers,  or  your 
feeding  and  nesting  arrangements  are  wrong.  In  our  visit 
to  squab  breeders  in  1902,  we  asked  every  one  with  whom 


76       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

we  talked  how  many  pairs  a  year  he  was  getting  from  his 
birds,  and  about  all  of  them  said  seven  to  nine.  This  expe- 
rience corresponds  with  ours.  We  remember  particularly 
an  old  gentleman,  Preacher  Hubbell,  in  Vineland,  who  had 
been  in  the  squab  business  for  years  but  was  just  going  out 
of  it,  having  sold  his  place,  pigeons  and  all,  to  a  Swede  farmer. 
He  told  us  he  had  always  made  squabs  pay  him  and  that  his 
birds,  of  which  he  kept  a  careful  record,  raised  him  nine 
pairs  to  the  year  right  along. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  common  pigeon  will  breed 
only  four  or  five  pairs  of  squabs  a  year,  and  if  handlers  of  big 
flocks  of  common  pigeons,  like  Johnson  of  California,  can  make 
a  net  profit  of  one  dollar  per  pair  a  year  from  such  low  breeders, 
we  think  anybody  of  no  experience  is  justified  in  believing 
our  statement  that  our  Homers  are  capable  of  earning  a  net 
profit  of  from  two  to  three  dollars  per  pair  a  year,  taking  into 
account  not  only  their  fast  breeding  qualities,  but  the  superior 
size  of  the  squabs.  Here  in  New  England  we  consider  the 
common  pigeons  inconstant  and  happy-go-lucky  breeders. 
They  are  not  in  the  same  class  at  all  with  the  Homer  pigeon. 

The  common  pigeon,  the  pigeon  which  flies  the  streets  of 
our  cities  and  towns,  is  a  mixture  of  all  kinds  of  pigeons,  and 
it  partakes  of  the  faults  of  each,  and  not  of  the  virtues.  Its 
outward  appearance  is  large,  but  it  is  an  effect  of  feathers  and 
not  of  flesh.  Its  feathers  are  loos'B  and  fluffy  and  its  muscles 
soft  and  flabby.  Its  head  is  smaller  than  that  of  a  Homer, 
the  deficiency  being  marked  in  the  curve  of  the  skull  which 
covers  the  brain.  The  Homer  has  a  white  flesh  ring  around 
the  eye,  but  the  common  pigeon  has  none.  The  Homer  has 
the  largest  brain  of  any  variety  of  pigeon,  and  discloses  this 
fact  by  its  behavior.  It  has  more  sense  and  behaves  with 
more  intelligence.  Its  wonderful  homing  instinct  marks 
it  above  and  beyond  all  classes  of  pigeons  and  it  is  this  quality 
which  gives  it  a  commercial  value  all  over  the  world.  The 
feathers  of  the  Homer  are  laid  close  like  a  woman's  glove  and 
the  muscles  under  it  feel  as  hard  and  firm  as  a  piece  of  wood. 
Its  breast  is  firm  and  well  protected,  with  just  the  right  amount 
of  fullness.  Its  chest  is  large,  indicating  good  lung  power  and 
staying  qualities.  Its  wings  are  trim  and  shapely,  in  flight 
the  poetry  of  motion.  The  poise  of  its  body  and  head  reminds 
one  of  a  race-horse  listening  for  the  signal  to  speed  over  the 


INCREASE  OF  FLOCK  77 

course.  The  lines  from  the  neck  to  the  body  descend  in  a 
long,  graceful  sweep.  Put  a  thoroughbred  Homer  into  a 
flock  of  common  pigeons  and  even  a  novice,  if  told  to  pick  out 
the  bird  which  would  fly  the  fastest  and  furthest,  would  pick 
out  the  Homer.  The  Homer  has  a  long  bill  (but  not  so  long 
as  the  Dragoon  pigeon).  The  bill  of  the  common  pigeon  is 
short.  Its  bill  is  more  hooked  and  is  sharper  pointed.  Its 
head  is  shorter  and  more  rounding  on  top. 

The  common  pigeon  is  seldom  bred  in  captivity,  because  it 
does  not  pay  for  the  grain  which  it  consumes.  If  bred  in  a 
wild  state,  it  picks  up  a  living  in  the  neighborhood,  the  owner 
not  keeping  it  wired  in.  It  is  the  cheapest  kind  of  a  pigeon, 
and  thousands  of  pairs  are  used  by  trap  shooters.  Under- 
takers sometimes  buy  the  white  common  pigeons  in  order  to 
liberate  them  at  graves,  to  signify  the  ascent  of  the  soul  to 
heaven.  Common  pigeons  will  live  anywhere,  do  not  get 
attached  to  any  home,  but  a  Homer  never  forgets  the  place 
where  it  was  bred  and  will  search  out  its  home  in  long  flights. 
Common  pigeons  will  alight  on  any  building  and  will  drink 
from  different  springs  and  wells,  fouling  them  and  making 
themselves  a  nuisance  in  a  neighborhood.  The  Homer  will 
alight  only  on  its  own  squab  house  and  drink  only  at  its  own 
home.  Common  pigeons  sell  for  fifty  cents  a  pair  and  are 
frequently  offered  as  Homers.  Do  not  start  with  common 
pigeons  and  think  to  learn  the  habits  of  squab  breeders  with 
them.  If  you  cross  a  common  with  a  Homer  pigeon  you  will 
take  away  the  good  qualities  of  the  Homer  and  add  nothing. 
There  is  not  one  element  in  a  common  pigeon  which  if  added 
to  a  Homer  would  improve  the  offspring.  It  is  hard  to 
convince  some  people  that  there  is  any  difference  in  pigeons 
whose  feathers  are  the  same  color.  The  result  is  they  buy 
the  cheapest  they  can  get.  After  feeding  them  for  a  time  and 
getting  no  profitable  results,  they  are  compelled  to  sell  them 
to  the  first  trap  shooter  who  comes  along,  and  they  go  among 
their  townspeople  declaring  that  the  pigeon  business  is  no 
good.  Remember  this  point,  that  if  you  are  going  to  buy 
grain  and  feed  it  to  anything  so  as  to  get  a  profit,  it  is  the 
best  policy  to  feed  it  to  that  grade  of  animal  which  will  show 
the  largest  profit.  Very  few  people  are  satisfied  with  shoddy 
suits  nowadays,  even  if  they  look  almost  as  well  as  the  all- 
wool  garments.  It  is  the  wear  which  the  customer  is  after. 


78       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

Beware  of  shoddy  pigeons.  Buy  the  best  Homers  you  can 
get,  they  will  wear  best  and  give  you  the  most  pride.  Ex- 
perienced poultrymen  do  not  go  here  and  there  looking  for 
fowls  at  cut  prices.  They  buy  breeding  stock  of  a  reliable 
breeder  which  is  reliable  and  sold  at  a  price  which  will  enable 
the  seller  to  deliver  a  high  quality  article.  We  can  tell  when 
an  order  for  our  breeding  stock  comes  from  an  old  poultry- 
man,  for  they  all  write:  "  I  want  the  best  stock  you  can  give 
me." 

Good  Homers  do  not  glut  the  markets.  They  are  always 
fairly  scarce,  and  the  price  for  them  has  always  been  well 
kept  up.  Beware  of  cheap  Homers  for  sale  at  cut  prices. 
There  is  always  something  the  matter  with  such  birds.  They 
have  been  worked  too  long  and  are  played  out,  or  if  a  flock 
is  offered  "  at  a  bargain,"  the  birds  do  not  produce  the  large, 
plump,  No.  1  squab,  but  only  culls.  If  a  squab  breeder  is 
going  to  quit  the  business  and  offers  you  his  flock  of  birds  on 
the  bargain  counter,  make  him  give  a  good  reason  to  you  for 
selling.  If  he  has  been  unable  to  make  the  flock  pay,  you  may 
be  sure  that  you  will  be  unable  to  make  them  pay.  If  he 
offers  them  to  you  without  a  good  reason  for  selling,  the 
chances  are  that  it  is  a  poor  flock  and  he  has  got  tired  of  buying 
grain  for  them,  and  wishes  to  saddle  the  burden  upon  you.  We 
are  always  selling  breeders  and  it  is  very  much  to  our  interest 
to  protect  our  reputation  by  sending  out  only  good  Homers 
that  will  make  money  for  their  owners.  This  is  what  we 
do,  and  our  large  business  has  been  built  up  by  square  dealing, 
and  knowing  the  business  thoroughly. 

A  pair  of  Homers  capable  of  earning  a  pair  of  squabs  in  one 
month  which  will  sell  for  at  least  fifty  cents  is  worth  more  than 
one  dollar  or  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  a  pair.  A  pair 
of  birds  capable  of  earning  only  a  ten-cent  or  twenty-cent 
pair  of  squabs  once  in  two  or  three  months  is  worth  only 
fifty  cents  a  pair.  Jersey  cows  are  worth  more  than  common 
cows  because  they  earn  more.  Good  Homer  pigeons,  bred 
skilfully,  are  worth  more  than  poor  Homers  because  they 
earn  more. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

KILLING  AND  COOLING. 

Kill  the  Squabs  in  the  Morning  when  their  Crops  are  Empty 
—  Not  Necessary  to  Use  a  Knife,  their  Necks  may  be 
Tweaked  —  Drive  the  Animal  Heat  out  of  their  Bodies  by 
Hanging  them  from  Nails  —  The  Ideal  Squab  when 
Shipped  has  an  Empty  Crop,  its  Feet  have  been  Washed 
Clean,  and  No  Blood  Shows  —  Sorting  Squabs  so  as  to  Get 
the  Highest  Price  from  the  Dealer. 

The  time  to  kill  the  squabs  is  in  the  morning,  when  the 
crops  are  empty.  In  killing  them  it  is  not  necessary  to  use 
a  knife.  Hold  each  squab  in  the  manner  shown  in  the 
illustration  and  break  the  neck  with  a  sudden  pull  and  push. 
Do  not  pull  too  hard  or  you  will  sever  the  neck  from  the  body. 
Some  of  our  customers  have  hard  work  to  get  this  knack  of 
tweaking  the  necks  and  prefer  to  wring  the  necks,  or  to  use  a 
knife.  To  wring  the  neck,  hold  the  squab  by  the  head  in 
the  right  hand  and  throw  the  body  around  in  a  complete 
circle,  this  act  twisting  and  breaking  the  neck. 

After  the  squabs  are  killed  they  must  be  cooled.  In  other 
words  the  animal  heat  must  be  driven  out  of  their  bodies. 
Provide  a  piece  of  board  or  studding  eight  or  ten  feet  long  and 
every  four  inches  along  this  studding  drive  a  couple  of  nine 
penny  wire  finish  nails  close  together,  but  not  so  close  that 
you  cannot  squeeze  in  the  legs  of  the  squabs.  A  finish  wire 
nail  has  no  large  head  like  an. ordinary  wire  nail.  Suspend 
the  studding  from  the  ceiling  by  means  of  wire  adjusted  at 
both  ends  of  the  studding.  This  method  of  hanging  it  up  is 
to  prevent  rats  and  cats  from  climbing  up  onto  the  studding, 
walking  along  it  and  eating  the  squabs.  Place  the  feet 
of  the  squabs  between  the  wire  nails  and  let  them  hang  down- 
wards over  night.  In  the  morning  the  heat  will  be  all  out  of 
their  bodies  and  you  can  pack  and  ship  them.  If  you  are 
delivering  plucked  squabs  to  market,  you  do  not  need  such 
an  arrangement,  but  will  throw  the  bodies  into  a  tub  of  ice 
water  (or  cold  spring  water)  after  you  have  plucked  them. 

When  plucking  the  feathers  from  the  killed  squabs,  the 


INCORRECT  POSITION  OF  HANDS. 


CORRECT  POSITION  OF  HANDS. 

A  squab  is  killed  for  market  when  it  is  plump  and  well  feathered,  usually  when 
four  weeks  old,  although  many  are  ready  for  market  when  a  day  or  two  over  tnree 
weeks  old.  Hold  the  hands  close  together  on  the  neck,  as  shown  in  the  bottom 
picture  and  break  the  spine  of  the  bird  by  pulling  firmly  and  then  pushing  back. 
Do  not  put  so  much  strength  into  the  operation  that  you  pull  the  head  from  tne  Dooy. 
This  method  of  killing  is  faster  and  neater  than  using  a  knife. 


KILLING  AND  COOLING  81 

operator  should  moisten  his  thumb  and  forefinger  in  a  basin 
of  water,  to  give  him  a  grip  on  the  feathers.  They  come  off 
easily  and  an  experienced  picker  will  work  very  rapidly.  A 
sharp  pen-knife,  or  knife  such  as  shoemakers  use,  is  necessary 
to  remove  some  of  the  pin  feathers.  They  should  be  shaved 
off. 

Ignorance  of  how  to  cool  the  killed  squabs  properly  has 
discouraged  many  a  squab  raiser.  If  you  throw  the  squabs 
in  a  pile  on  the  floor  after  you  have  tweaked  their  necks,  you 
will  have  a  fermenting  mass  and  the  following  morning, 
when  you  are  ready  to  ship,  many  of  the  bodies  will  be  dark- 
colored  at  the  place  of  contact  with  the  floor,  or  with  other 
squabs,  and  decay  will  start  from  such  discolored  places. 
Hang  the  bodies  from  the  studding,  as  we  have  described,  and 
you  wll  cool  them  just  right  and  you  will  be  surprised  that 
this  part  of  the  business  ever  could  have  discouraged  anybody. 

If  you  number  the  nails  which  you  have  driven  into  the 
studding  you  will  know  just  how  many  squabs  you  hang  up, 
and  you  will  not  have  to  handle  the  squabs  a  second  time  to 
count  them. 

The  ideal  squab  which  brings  the  highest  price  in  the  market 
is  not  only  large  and  plump,  but  has  a  clean  crop,  so  that  no 
food  will  be  left  in  it  to  sour.  No  blood  shows  anywhere  on 
the  body  and  its  feet  are  clean.  Ship  in  small  quantities, 
especially  in  the  summer.  Do  not  pack  in  an  enormous  box, 
or  the  bottom  layers  will  suffer. 

A  squab  should  be  killed,  as  we  have  stated,  when  from 
three  to  four  weeks  old,  most  generally  at  four  weeks.  Do 
not  wait  until  it  is  five  or  six  weeks  old,  when  it  may  have  left 
the  nest.  As  soon  as  a  squab  is  old  enough  to  get  out  of  the 
nest  and  walk  around  on  the  floor  of  the  squab  house,  it 
quickly  trains  off  its  fat  and  grows  lean  and  slender.  Its 
flesh  also  loses  its  pure  white  co  or  and  takes  on  a  darker 
shade.  You  do  not  want  either  of  these  two  conditions. 

If  you  tie  up  your  killed  squabs  by  the  feet  when  shipping 
to  market,  do  not  tie  a  lean  with  a  fat  squab,  for  if  you  do  the 
dealer  probably  will  give  you  the  price  of  the  lean  one.  Put 
the  fat  squabs  in  one  bunch  and  the  lean  squabs  in  another 
bunch.  If  you  are  shipping  to  two  dealers,  you  can  very 
often  get  the  top  price  from  both  by  giving  one  your  best 
squabs  and  the  other  your  second  best. 


KILLED  SQUABS  HUNG  TO  COOL. 

After  the  squabs  have  been  killed  they  should  be  hung  as  this  picture  shows  to 
cool.  The  wooden  scantling  or  studding  is  several  feet  long  and  is  suspended  from 
the  ceiling  at  its  ends  by  wire,  so  that  cats  and  rats  cannot  climb  to  the  squabs.  A 
pair  of  nails  are  driven  in  four  inches  apart  and  the  squabs'  legs  set  in  between  them 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  MARKETS. 

Squabs  with  the  Feathers  on  Taken  by  the  Boston  and  Some 
Other  City  Markets — The  New  York  Market  Wants  Them 
Plucked  and  Pays  the  Highest  Price  of  Any  Northern  City 
— Interpretation  of  Quotations  of  Squabs  as  Seen  in  the  News- 
papers— White- Fleshed  Squabs  are  Wanted,  Not  Dark- 
Fleshed. 

The  Boston  market,  and  the  markets  in  some  other  cities, 
will  take  squabs  with  feathers  on.  It  is  only  necessary  for 
you  to  tweak  the  necks  of  the  squabs  and  send  them  to  the 
train,  after  they  have  cooled  over  night.  Some  shippers  do 
not  take  the  trouble  to  box  the  killed  squabs,  but  tie  their 
legs  together  with  string  and  send  them  along  to  market. 
In  the  baggage  cars  of  the  trains  running  into  Boston  you  will 
sometimes  see  strings  of  squabs  going  in  to  the  dealers  in  this 
way. 

The  New  York  market  demands  squabs  plucked.  The 
squab  breeders  who  have  large  plants  and  who  ship  to  the 
New  York  market  employ  pluckers  and  pay  them  by  the 
piece.  A  skillful  plucker  will  strip  feathers  from  squabs  at 
the  rate  of  ten  to  twenty  squabs  an  hour.  The  proper  time  to 
pluck  the  killed  squab  is  immediately  after  killing.  When 
picked  clean,  throw  the  squab  into  cold  water  and  leave  it 
there  over  night  to  plump  out  and  harden  the  flesh.  In  the 
summer  use  ice  water. 

The  squab  puts  on  more  feathers  than  flesh  during  the 
last  few  days  of  its  growth  and  if  you  see  squabs  which  are 
only  three  weeks  old,  but  which  are  of  good  size,  you  may  save 
a  week  on  feed  by  killing  the  squab  at  that  age  and  plucking 
it.  When  the  feathers  are  off  of  it,  it  looks  like  the  four  weeks 
squabs  which  have  not  matured  so  rapidly. 

If  you  are  shipping  to  the  New  York  market,  you  should 
pack  your  squabs  in  a  neat  white  wood  box,  printed  if  you 
please.  Do  not  use  a  pine  box  for  if  you  do  the  odor  of  the 
pine  will  penetrate  the  squabs. 

The  New  York  market  for  squabs  is  the  best  in  the  North. 


84       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

Squabs  delivered  by  our  customers  there  invariably  bring 
from  one  to  one  dollar  and  fifty  per  dozen  more  than  the 
Boston  market.  This  is  because  there  are  more  rich  people 
in  New  York  than  there  are  in  Boston,  and  they  are  more 
free  with  their  money  in  providing  luxuries  for  their  table 
than  Boston  folks.  We  do  not  mean  to  disparage  the  Boston 
market  for  squabs,  which  is  always  good,  averaging  four 
dollars  a  dozen,  but  we  wish  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  the 
New  York  market  is  a  phenomenal  one.  Anybody  living 
near  New  York  can  make  a  fortune  raising  squabs.  Our 
largest  orders  have  come  from  customers  who  are  shipping 
to  New  York. 

Not  all  the  New  York  newspapers  print  market  quotation 
of  squabs.  The  New  York  Evening  Sun  is  an  exception. 
All  through  the  winter  squabs  are  quoted  in  the  Evening  Sun 
at  five  dollars  a  dozen.  This  means  that  a  squab  breeder 
shipping  to  New  York  should  have  got  six  dollars  and  seven 
dollars  for  a  choice  product,  from  private  customers. 

A  correspondent  in  New  York  State  sends  a  clipping  from 
the  New  York  Tribune's  market  columns  and  asks  for  an 
interpretation.  We  quote  from  it  as  follows: 

"  Pigeons,  20c.;  squabs,  prime,  large,  white,  per  doz.,  $3.50 
and  $3.75;  ditto,  mixed,  $2.75  and  $3;  ditto,  dark,  $1.75 
and  $2." 

The  quotation,  "  Pigeons,  20  cents,"  means  twenty  cents 
a  pair  for  common  old  killed  pigeons.  These  tough  old  birds 
are  occasionally  found  in  the  markets  and  are  worth  only 
ten  or  fifteen  cents  apiece.  They  are  neither  squabs  nor  the 
old  Homer  pigeons,  but  are  common  pigeons  such  as  fly  in 
the  streets.  A  small  boy  might  get  a  pair  of  these  street 
pigeons  and  kill  them  and  give  them  to  a  butcher  who  would 
pay  him  fifteen  or  twenty  cents  a  pair.  These  cheap  pigeons 
come  into  the  eastern  markets  largely  from  the  West  in  barrels 
and  are  sold  to  Boston  commission  men  for  five  cents  apiece, 
or  fifty  cents  a  dozen.  They  are  retailed  at  from  one  dollar 
to  one  dollar  and  twenty  cents  a  dozen.  They  are  in  the 
Chicago  market  masquerading  as  squabs.  They  have  been 
killed  with  guns  and  have  shot  in  their  bodies.  If  you  ask 
for  pigeon  pie  at  one  of  the  cheap  Boston  restaurants,  you 
will  get  a  shot  or  two  against  your  teeth  with  mouthfuls. 
After  every  trap-shooting  contest  some  skulker  goes  over  the 


THE  MARKETS  85 

field  and  gathers  up  all  the  killed  and  mained  birds  he  can 
find,  and  sells  them  for  two  and  three  cents  apiece,  or  for 
anything  he  can  get,  and  these  find  their  way  into  the  markets. 
The  cruel  practice  of  pigeon  shooting  by  miscalled  "sports- 
men "  on  Long  Island  is  quite  common,  and  the  presence  of 
these  birds  in  the  New  York  butcher  shops  accounts  for  the 
above  quotation  in  the  Tribune.  It  is  unnecessary  to  add 
that  such  birds  do  not  compete  with  squabs.  They  can  be 
made  palatable  only  by  stewing  for  hours  in  a  pie,  which  takes 
out  a  little  of  their  toughness.  There  is  now  a  law  in  New 
York  forbidding  pigeon  shooting. 

As  to  squabs,  the  quotation,  "  Prime,  large,  white,  per  dozen 
$3.50  and  $3.75,"  is  for  the  kind  of  squabs  that  are  raised 
from  our  Homers,  namely,  No.  1  grade. 

By  the  quotation,  "  Mixed,  $2.75  and  $3.00,"  is  meant  that 
these  amounts  are  paid  for  lots  of  birds  composed  of  No.  1 
and  No.  2  grades,  mixed.  If  you  sort  up  your  birds  care- 
fully you  will  be  able  to  get  the  No.  1  prices  for  all.  Some 
people  do  not  know  how  to  sort  them,  and  they  have  to  be 
satisfied  with  the  price  of  a  mixed  lot. 

By  the  quotation,  "  Dark,  $1.75  and  $2.00,"  is  meant  the 
dark-fleshed  squabs,  as  you  have  learned  by  reading  our 
Manual.  Squabs  whose  flesh  is  dark  do  not  sell  for  as  much 
as  the  white-fleshed  squabs. 

Pigeons  are  of  all  colors,  i.  e.,  as  you  see  their  feathers,  and 
the  squabs  likewise,  but  when  you  pluck  the  feathers  off  the 
flesh  is  either  a  pure  white  with  a  tinge  of  yellow,  or  dark  like 
a  negro's  skin. 

Quotations  for  squabs  as  found  in  the  market  reports  in 
the  newspapers  are  always  lower  than  they  really  are.  The 
writers  of  the  market  columns  in  the  daily  papers  see  only  the 
commission  men  and  cater  only  to  them;  they  smoke  the 
commission  men's  cigars  and  believe  what  the  commission 
men  tell  them.  They  do  not  see  the  producer  at  all.  The 
object  of  the  commission  men  is  to  get  the  squabs  as  cheaply  as 
they  can.  When  you  are  breeding  squabs  make  up  your  mind 
to  get  from  twenty-five  cents  to  one  dollar  or  more  per  dozen 
than  you  see  quoted  in  the  market  reports.  The  only  way  to 
find  out  the  truth  about  the  squab  markets  is  to  go  into  them 
and  offer  to  buy  squabs,  not  to  sell  them.  Then  you  will  learn 
the  true  prices. 


THE  MARKETS  87 

At  the  same  time  the  report  quoted  above  was  printed  in 
the  New  York  Tribune  a  breeder  in  Mauricetown,  N.  J.,  was 
getting  from  four  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents  to  four  dollars 
and  fifty  cents  a  dozen  for  his  squabs.  (This  was  the  last 
week  in  January,  1902.)  You  see,  it  does  not  pay  to  trust 
wholly  to  the  market  reports  in  the  newspapers.  The  motive 
of  the  city  men  is  to  get  their  goods  as  cheaply  as  they  can.  It 
is  your  motive  to  get  as  much  as  you  can,  and  don't  be  fooled 
by  second-hand  information.  Go  direct  to  headquarters 
yourself  in  person  and  learn  the  truth.  If  the  middleman 
tries  to  hold  down  the  price  to  you,  go  to  a  consumer  and 
make  your  bargain  with  him  at  top  prices. 

A  breeder  in  New  Jersey  writes  that  there  are  several 
squab  breeders  in  his  town,  all  of  whom  give  their  regular 
time  to  other  businesses.  He  continues:  "  I  am  now  (Feb- 
ruary, 1902),  getting  thirty -two  cents  each  as  they  run,  no 
sorting,  for  what  few  squabs  I  am  now  raising,  and  they 
are  sold  to  a  man  who  calls  every  Tuesday  for  them.  When 
I  have  enough,  I  ship  direct  to  New  York  by  express.  They 
sort  them  in  New  York." 

This  is  doing  extremely  well  for  unsorted  squabs.  It  is 
only  another  bit  of  evidence  which  proves  the  money -making 
condition  of  the  New  York  market.  (The  above  correspon- 
dent's breeders  are  not  first-class,  he  admits,  saying  he  has 
been  breeding  for  seven  years  and  his  flock  has  run  down.) 

The  Kansas  City  market  doe§  not  yet  know  what  a  fat 
squab  is.  The  only  things  obtainable  there  are  the  squabs  of 
common  pigeons,  which  are  quoted  low,  as  they  are  all  over 
the  country.  A  correspondent  in  Atchison  writes:  "  I  wrote 
to  the  Kansas  City  dealer  again,  telling  him  I  thought  his 
prices  were  pretty  low  for  Homer  squabs.  He  replied  that 
they  had  so  few  Homers  offered  that  they  did  not  quote  them, 
and  they  would  be  worth  from  two  dollars  to  two  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  per  dozen.  He  quoted  common  pigeon  squabs  at 
one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  to  one  dollar  and  seventy-five 
per  dozen,  as  I  wrote  you  before.  That  is  better,  and  I  want 
to  try  raising  them  as  soon  as  I  can  get  into  a  place  where  I 
can  handle  them." 

Fact  is,  the  squabs  that  bring  from  three  to  five  dollars  a 
dozen  east  of  the  Mississippi  will  bring  that  (and  more)  as  soon 
as  the  wealthy  trade  of  Kansas  City  gets  a  taste  of  them. 


88       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

Find  out  for  yourself  whether  your  market  wants  squabs 
with  the  feathers  on  or  off.  We  do  not  know  such  details 
about  the  squab  market  in  every  city  in  the  country  and  can- 
not advise  you  accurately  on  this  point  if  you  write  to  us 
from  a  distant  town  or  city. 

The  best  way  to  find  out  the  facts  concerning  the  squab 
market  is  to  go  from  place  to  place,  or  to  write,  offering  not  to 
sell  squabs  but  to  buy  them.  The  squab  sellers  are  much 
more  interested  in  a  possible  buyer  than  a  possible  seller. 
They  receive  letters  from  many  inquirers  about  markets  but 
as  a  rule  pay  scant  attention  to  them  unless  the  writer  is 
really  producing  squabs  and  has  them  for  sale. 


SQUAB  HOUSE  BUILT  OF  LOGS. 


CHAPTER  X. 

PIGEONS'  AILMENTS. 

Canker  a  Filth  Disease  which  Makes  its  Appearance  in  Nasty, 
Cramped  and  Crowded  Quarters  —  It  is  a  Captivity  Disease 
and  a  Sure  Cure  for  it  is  to  Turn  the  Bird  Loose  to  Get  a 
Change  of  Food  and  Plenty  of  Exercise  —  A  Flock  Supplied 
with  Pure  Food  and  Clean  Water  Never  will  be  Sick  — 
Canker  is  Not  Epidemic  —  It  does  Not  Pay  to  Dose  a 
Sick  Pigeon,  Better  Turn  it  Out  to  Get  Well. 

The  principal  ailment  met  with  by  the  squab  breeder  is 
canker.  This  ailment  is  a  puzzle  to  some  breeders  and  they 
are  alarmed  when  it  makes  an  appearance  in  their  flock,  as 
it  does  if  the  feed  is  poor  or  sour,  the  water  dirty,  or  the  squab 
house  filthy.  The  advice  which  they  give  when  they  find  a 
cankered  bird  is,  "Kill  it."  That  is  the  advice  we  used  to 
give  at  first,  but  now  we  know  better.  First,  what  is  canker? 
It  is  a  disease  of  which  you  know  the  cause  (filth,  poor  feed  or 
dirty  water)  and  whose  symptoms  you  see  in  the  form  of  a 
cheesy-like  deposit  in  the  mouth  of  the  pigeon,  and  breaking 
out  around  the  bill.  Catch  the  pigeon,  hold  it  in  your  lap 
and  force  open  its  bill  and  you  will  see  a  yellowish  patch  or 
patches  in  the  mouth,  and  the  mouth  will  usually  be  filled 
with  a  yellowish  deposit  which  smells  bad.  The  disease  is 
not  serious.  The  trouble  lies  with  the  feed  and  the  filth  and 
that  is  what  spreads  the  same  symptoms  from  one  pigeon  to 
another.  A  case  of  canker  in  your  flock  should  be  a  warning 
to  you  that  the  feed  or  water  is  wrong,  or  that  you 
have  a  filthy  house.  Do  not  get  alarmed  and  kill  the  bird. 
Catch  the  affected  pigeon,  carry  it  out  of  your  flying  pen 
and  squab  house  and  throw  it  into  the  air.  The  bird  may 
fly  away  and  lose  itself,  and  if  it  does  you  are  out  one  pigeon 
just  as  if  you  had  killed  it.  The  chances  are,  however,  as  in 
the  case  of  any  sick  animal,  that  it  will  linger  around  home. 
Now  you  will  be  surprised  to  see  how  quickly  that  pigeon's 
health  will  improve.  Not  having  a  steady  supply  of  food 
before  it,  it  will  have  to  hustle  for  a  living,  and  this  exercise 
and  the  change  of  living,  and  the  scanty  living,  will  effect  the 


PAIR  OF  HOMERS  BILLING. 

This  illustration  is  made  from  a  photograph  of  a  pair  of  our  pigeons  caught  in 
the  act  of  billing,  or  kissing.     The  pigeon  on  the  left  is  the  male  and  on  the  right 
the  female.     Billing  is  one  of  the  acts  of  love  making.     Mounting  and  trea 
generally  follow  immediately  after  billing. 


right 
ading 


90 


PIGEONS1  AILMENTS  91 

cure.  It  will  get  more  fresh  air,  and  a  great  deal  more  exercise, 
and  more  sun,  than  it  would  get  if  lett  in  company  with  the 
other  birds.  In  about  a  week  you  will  notice  that  it  will  hold 
its  bill  tighter,  and  if  there  is  a  sore  on  the  outside  of  the  bill 
you  will  see  this  sore  dry  up.  In  two  weeks  the  chances  are 
that  the  yellowish  deposit  on  the  interior  of  the  mouth  will 
be  entirely  gone.  The  pigeon  will  hover  around  the  other 
pigeons.  It  will  fly  to  the  outside  of  the  netting  and  look  at 
its  fellows.  Place  a  dish  on  the  ground  now  and  then  with  a 
little  feed  and  you  will  attract  it.  Catch  it  when  you  have  a 
favorable  opportunity  either  with  a  net  on  the  end  of  a  pole, 
or  with  a  broom,  pinning  it  into  a  corner.  You  may  have  to 
try  several  times,  but  you  will  get  it  after  a  while.  Its  eye 
will  be  brighter  and  signs  of  disease  will  be  gone,  and  you  can 
put  it  back  into  the  squab  house  with  the  others.  The  exer- 
cise, sunlight,  change  of  food,  and  scanty  food,  have  made 
the  cure.  There  are  few  pigeons  so  bad  with  canker  that  they 
cannot  be  cured  in  this  way.  For  that  reason  we  have  not 
much  hesitation  in  saying  that  canker  is  a  captivity  disease, 
caused  by  lack  of  exercise  as  well  as  unavoidable  filth  and  too 
much  of  the  wrong  kind  of  feed.  We  have  observed  wild 
pigeons  in  the  streets  and  we  never  saw  a  case  of  canker  among 
them.  You  may  say  to  yourself  that  it  is  quite  a  risk  to 
throw  out  into  the  open  air  a  pigeon  which  has  cost  you  from 
seventy-five  cents  to  a  dollar,  but  it  is  better  to  do  this  than 
to  take  the  advice  of  all  other  breeders  and  books  and  kill  it. 

If  you  do  not  wish  to  throw  a  sick  pigeon  out  into  the  air 
to  get  well,  construct  a  box  with  wire  netting  over  the  front, 
and  put  the  pigeon  in  there  for  special  feeding  and  watering 
until  it  gets  well. 

Powdered  alum  sprinkled  in  the  drinking  water  now  and 
then  will  tend  to  ward  off  canker  from  a  flock. 

It  does  not  pay  to  dose  sick  pigeons,  because  a  cure  seldom 
is  obtained  by  dosing,  and  you  are  out  your  time. 

The  squab  breeder  who  follows  the  advice  as  to  feed  and 
water,  and  cleanliness  of  squab  house,  given  in  this  Manual, 
will  not  have  any  sick  pigeons.  It  is  so  very  easy  to  keep  a 
pigeon  in  perfect  health  that  the  fear  of  disease  is  a  bugbear 
not  worth  taking  into  account.  The  element'  of  disease  is  a 
constant  source  of  worry  to  the  chicken  breeder,  and  a  source 
of  heavy  loss  to  the  best  of  them.  We  wish  to  assure  all  who 


92        NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB   BOOK 

contemplate  starting  in  the  squab  breeding  business  that  the 
pigeon  naturally  is  a  healthier  and  more  rugged  bird  than  the 
domestic  hen  and  that  positively  you  will  not  be  fussing  with 
remedies  and  cure-alls,  in  handling  them. 

"  Going  light,"  or  wasting  away,  is  an  ailment  of  pigeons 
occasionally  met  with.  The  cause  of  it  is  an  absence  of  grit 
and  salt.  If  your  staples  of  feed  are  provided  as  we  tell,  and 
you  give  a  variety  of  feed,  and  you  provide  grit  and  oyster 
shells,  you  will  have  no  cases  of  "  going  light."  The  disease 
is  known  by  a  steady  wasting  away  of  the  pigeon.  Catch 
it  and  you  feel  a  prominent  breastbone,  and  scanty  flesh,  show- 
ing that  some  element  in  the  feed  is  lacking. 

Another  cause  of  "  going  light  "  is  the  failure  to  feed  enough 
grain,  or  enough  Canada  peas.  Do  not  stint  the  peas  for  they 
are  full  of  protein,  which  makes  flesh  and  blood.  Pigeons' with 
no  protein  in  their  ration  cannot  produce  eggs  and  squabs. 

A  third  cause  of  "  going  light  "  is  the  fast  driving  of  the  fe- 
males by  the  males.  A  bird  found  thin  and  poor  in  the  breeding 
pen  is  almost  always  a  female  which  is  being  worked  hard  at 
domestic  duties.  Take  her  out  of  the  breeding  pen  away  from 
her  mate  and  keep  her  alone  or  with  other  females  in  a  small 
pen.  Give  her  the  usual  variety  of  nourishing  grain  and  let 
her  rest  and  build  up  for  a  fortnight,  or  a  month  if  necessary, 
until  she  is  plump  again,  then  put  her  back  into  the  breeding 
pen  with  her  mate. 

"  Going  light  "  is  not  a  germ  trouble  and  is  not  contagious, 
but  the  same  cause  which  produced  one  case  will  produce  others. 


CHAPTER  XL 

GETTING  AHEAD. 

Make  your  Birds  Pay  for  themselves  as  they  Go  Along, 
unless  you  Wish  to  Wait  Patiently  until  a  Small  Flock 
Increases  to  a  Large  One  —  Better  to  Take  the  Money  Made 
from  Sale  of  Squabs  and  Buy  More  Adult  Birds  than  to 
Raise  the  Squabs,  Because  it  is  a  Long  Jump  from  Four 
Weeks  (the  Killing  Age)  to  Six  Months,  at  which  Age  the 
Birds  Begin  Breeding  —  Shipping  Points. 

It  is  the  birds  and  not  the  buildings  which  count  in  squab 
raising  and  if  you  have  fifty  dollars  to  start,  put  thirty-five 
dollars  or  forty  dollars  into  your  birds  and  the  balance  into 
your  building.  We  have  had  customers  start  with  a  hundred- 
dollar  building  and  put  a  ten-dollar  lot  of  birds  into  it,  con- 
tinuing to  buy  ten-dollar  lots  of  us  about  once  a  month  until 
they  had  their  flock  to  a  good  size,  but  we  believe  it  is'best  to 
let  the  buildings  follow  the  birds,  and  not  the  birds  the 
buildings.  In  other  words,  let  your  birds  earn  buildings  as 
they  go  along.  It  is  quite  a  drag  on  a  small  flock  to  weigh  it 
down  with  an  expensive  building  much  too  large  for  it. 

Put  this  down  in  your  mind  solid,  where  you  will  not  forget 
it:  Make  your  pigeons  pay  for  themselves  as  they  go. 

We  sell  to  a  great  many  poultry  men,  and  we  like  to  get  their 
orders,  for  they  have  been  through  the  mill  of  raising  feathered 
animals  and  are  practical,  and  they  are  quick  to  see  the  money 
in  squabs,  and  when  their  order  for  breeding  stock  comes 
along,  it  is  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  a  large  order,  even  if  they 
have  had  no  previous  experience.  They  know  that  in  order 
to  sell  squabs  they  have  got  to  have  birds  enough  to  breed 
squabs  and  it  is  just  as  easy  for  them  to  spend  fifty  dollars  or 
one  hundred  dollars  at  the  start  as  it  is  for  them  to  spend  ten 
dollars  or  fifteen  dollars  and  use  up  one  hundred  dollars'  worth 
of  time  while  waiting  a  year  to  begin  selling  squabs. 

Many  beginners  are  so  skeptical  that  they  do  not  believe 
squabs  grow  to  market  size  in  one  month,  or  they  have  no 
confidence  in  their  ability  to  feed  the  mature  birds  so  as  to 
keep  them  alive.  They  wish  to  make  a  start  with  a  few  pairs 

03 


94       NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

and  actually  convince  themselves.  We  do  not  believe  in 
untried  hands  plunging  into  something  of  which  they  know 
nothing,  and  we  commend  the  caution  of  the  beginner  with 
squabs  who  wishes  to  feel  his  way  and  "  make  haste  slowly  " 
as  the  saying  is,  nevertheless  we  know  it  to  be  a  fact  that  our 
customers  who  started  with  large  flocks  are  making  splendid 
successes,  and  we  are  not  so  cautious  as  we  were  in  former 
books  in  advising  a  small  purchase,  at  the  start.  The  rules 
for  breeding  we  have  given  have  stood  the  test  of  time;  we 
have  not  had  it  said  to  us  that  they  are  misleading  or  erroneous; 
on  the  contrary,  our  customers  write  and  tell  us  that  their 
experience  corresponds  with  ours,  that  the  books  are  all  right, 
and  our  business  has  increased  right  along.  When  a  customer 
orders  two  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  breeding  stock  of  us  and 
two  months  later  two  hundred  dollars'  worth  more  (we  sell  to 
some  customers  month  after  month  steadily,  as  their  means  or 
their  inclination  permit  them  to  buy)  we  are  given  a  large 
measure  of  confidence,  first,  that  people  (many  of  whom  we 
never  see  and  who  are  not  experts)  can  start  with  our  writings 
and  our  breeding  stock  and  make  a  success;  second,  that 
all  we  have  advised  about  the  industry  is  of  general  and  con- 
vincing application;  and  third,  that  it  does  not  take  extraor- 
dinary skill  to  make  a  success  with  squabs. 

There  are  failures  with  squabs,  even  by  college  professors, 
because  some  beginners  are  unsuited  to  the  business.  Many 
are  lured  into  it  by  get-rich-quick  stories.  It  would  amaze 
you  to  read  the  letters  that  some  beginners  write.  You  never 
can  tell  a  man's  pigeon  and  poultry  ability  by  his  orthography 
and  grammar.  Letters  in  crude  spelling  and  crooked  writing 
frequently  come  from  the  most  successful  squab  raisers.  The 
knack  of  caring  for  animals  successfully  cannot  be  acquired 
by  some.  Given  two  women,  with  cooking  materials  and  the 
same  cook  books,  one  cooks  splendidly,  and  the  other  mis- 
erably. Why?  Well,  it  is  the  same  with  pigeons.  Some 
can  and  some  can't.  However,  the  failures  at  squab  or 
poultry  raising  seldom  blame  themselves. 

There  are  many  of  the  naturally  careless,  improvident 
persons  who  have  turned  to  squabs  to  help  them  out  of  finan- 
cial holes,  and  they  have  made  a  failure  of  squab  raising. 
Many  of  us  remember  the  furore  over  raising  chicken  broilers 
for  market,  which  started  a  score  of  years  ago.  The  fact  that 


GETTING   AHEAD  95 

some  were  making  money  at  it  started  a  burning  hen  fever  in 
hundreds  of  young  and  old  people  anxious  to  make  a  lot  of 
money  quick.  Clerks  and  society  women  from  New  York 
moved  into  the  suburbs  on  small  farms  and  began  to  try  to 
make  realities  of  their  dreams.  Not  accustomed  to  manual 
labor,  they  made  a  sorry  mess  of  it.  Writers  of  that  period 
tell  of  chicken  gentlemen  and  ladies  who  went  about  their 
daily  round  of  duties  with  their  delicate  hands  carefully  pro- 
tected by  kid  gloves.  It  did  not  take  long  for  the  end  for  such 
experimenters  to  arrive.  They  returned  to  the  great  city 
sadder,  but  wiser.  The  squab  industry  ha.s  suffered  also  the 
past  five  years  from  such  treatment.  Many  have  played 
with  it  as  a  child  would  with  a  new  toy,  giving  up  their 
pigeons  in  a  few  months  at  the  slightest  discouragement. 

The  past  ten  years  are  strewn  with  the  wrecks  of  imitation 
squab  advertisers  and  their  guarantees.  Ever£  spring,  when 
demand  for  breeders  is  greatest,  some  of  these  come  to  life 
again,  or  new  ones  crop  up,  and  they  get  what  harvest  they 
can,  many  of  them  selling  what  they  can  pick  up  in  the  way 
of  culls,  such  as  we  ourselves  sell  to  Faneuil  Hall  marketmen 
to  be  killed.  These  advertisers  start  advertising  in  January 
and  by  June  they  have  quit. 

The  following,  from  the  pen  of  an  old  poultry  writer, 
appeared  in  a  farm  periodical  of  large  circulation  in  January, 
1907:  "  So  far,  every  attempt  made  in  this  country  to  estab- 
lish a  large  poultry  (chicken)  farm  has  been  met  by  failure. 
The  extensive  and  successful  plants  of  today  are  the  outcome 
of  a  small  beginning  and  a  gradual  growth.  True,  the  main 
cause  for  failure  has  been  the  lack  of  experience;  men  have 
undertaken  work  for  which  they  were  not  qualified." 

So  it  is  the  rule  with  squab  and  poultry  failures,  especially 
women,  to  blame  everybody  but  themselves.  Such  persons 
learn  bitterly  that  experience  is  indeed  a  factor. 

The  place  and  flock  of  the  one  who  fails  with  squabs  tell 
their  own  story.  The  drinking  fountains  are  seldom  washed, 
the  pen  is  seldom  cleaned  and  the  place  has  a  run-down  look 
generally,  sometimes  being  positively  filthy.  The  grain  is 
bought  and  fed  on  the  catch-as-catch-can  principle  with  no 
provision  for  variety.  The  cheapest  grain  is  bought,  or  it  is 
ignorantly  bought,  and  may  be  full  of  weevils,  or  sour.  The 
owner  of  such  a  place  generally  matches  the  place. 


96      NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

Some  advertisers  selling  breeding  stock  try  to  give  the 
impression  in  their  advertising  that  they  control  the  matings 
and  love  affairs  of  the  pigeons  they  sell,  to  the  uttermost 
degree.  "  We  are  the  ones  who  can  start  you  right,"  they 
say,  "with  our  guaranteed  mated  pairs."  Their  pigeons,  how- 
ever, behave  just  the  same  as  all  pigeons.  You  have  just  as 
much  control  over  the  minds  of  your  pigeons  as  anybody. 
We  have  the  finest  equipment  for  mating  in  America,  as  it  is 
the  largest,  a  thousand  mating  coops  being  in  constant  use. 
One  of  the  buildings  is  heated  by  a  hot-water  plant  so  as  to 
get  quick  results  in  mating  in  the  winter.  It  is  natural  for 
pigeons  to  breed,  same  as  all  animals.  Do  not  believe  that 
the  man  who  offers  to  sell  you  pigeons  has  it  in  his  power  to 
control  them  after  they  have  left  his  hands.  The  control  of 
your  pigeons  is  in  your  hands  absolutely.  If  you  raise  an 
excess  of  cocks,  or  if  you  have  an  excess  of  either  sex,  for  any 
reason,  you  should  procure  enough  of  the  opposite  sex  to 
match  up  evenly.  You  should  have  some  mating  coops 
(ordinary  boxes  with  wire  fronts  will  do)  and  in  them  you 
should  pair  up  birds  to  suit  yourself  as  to  color  of  plumage,  or 
size,  or  special  characteristics,  as  you  raise  them. 

We  fill  all  orders,  large  or  small,  with  equal  care  and 
thoroughness,  for  it  is  just  as  much  to  our  interest  to  please 
the  customer  and  get  more  orders  in  the  one  case  as  in  the 
other. 

There  is  not  much  choice  as  to  what  time  of  year  a  start 
in  squab  breeding  should  be  made.  Our  customers  who 
start  in  the  winter  have  been  exceptionally  successful  because 
then  prices  for  squabs  are  at  the  top  notch,  and  it  takes  only 
a  few  sales  to  make  a  new  breeder  thoroughly  convinced  to 
go  ahead  to  success.  We  ship  breeders  all  the  year  round. 
A  pigeon  will  not  break  down  under  either  stifling  heat  or 
bitter  cold,  being  different  from  other  animals. 

We  fill  orders  in  rotation  and  treat  customers  alike,  and 
ship  promptly.  Frequently  we  get  orders  to  ship  by  first 
returning  express,  and  it  is  very  difficult  to  do  this.  One 
customer  in  Chicago  planned  to  start  for  Alaska  with  twelve 
pairs  of  our  birds,  but  he  held  back  his  letter  so  that  we  got 
it  with  only  two  hours  to  fill  crates  and  get  birds  to  him  before 
his  departure.  We  filled  his  order  as  a  matter  of  accommoda- 
tion. 


GETTING   AHEAD  97 

In  ordering  supplies  to  be  sent  by  freight,  remember  that 
it  takes  a  freight  shipment  some  time  to  get  to  destination, 
especially  when  traffic  is  congested  in  the  spring  or  in  the 
harvest  season.  Give  us  your  order  for  nest  bowls  and 
supplies  before  your  house  is  ready. 

The  live  breeders  are  shipped  by  us  either  in  specially  made 
.pine  crates  or  wicker  coops.  The  wicker  coops  remain  our 
property  and  are  returned  to  us  at  our  expense  by  the  express 
companies  after  the  customer  has  released  the  pigeons.  These 
baskets  are  expensive  and  are  fitted  with  large  tin  feed  and 
water  dishes.  It  is  impossible  to  break  them  open  with  the 
roughest  handling.  The  birds  have  plenty  of  room  in  them 
and  arrive  at  their  destination  in  fine  condition. 

The  usual  fault  of  inexperienced  shippers  is  that  the  box 
or  crate  is  too  high,  and  too  large,  giving  an  opportunity  for 
one  bird  to  pass  another  by  flying  over  its  head.  If  there  is 
too  much  room  between  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  crate 
feathers  will  be  rumpled  and  pulled  out,  and  the  birds  by 
crowding  will  suffocate  one  or  two.  A  large,  heavy  crate 
also  adds  enormously  to  the  express  charges.  It  is  not 
pleasant  to  buy  pigeons  and  receive  them  in  a  cumbrous 
box  weighing  from  twenty-five  to  seventy-five  pounds,  on 
which  the  express  charges  are  more  than  double  what  they 
would  be  were  the  birds  crated  properly. 

If  the  birds  are  going  to  a  point  only  a  day  or  a  day  and  a 
night  distant,  they  need  no  feed  nor  water.  For  a  long 
journey,  a  bag  of  grain  should  be  tied  to  the  crate.  It  is  the 
duty  of  the  express  messengers  to  feed  and  water  the  birds  en 
route,  and  they  are  so  instructed  by  their  companies. 

Do  you  know  that  pigeons  are  transported  by  the  express 
companies  at  the  rate  charged  for  ordinary  merchandise  under 
the  classification  in  force  for  1907  on?  The  rate  is  found  in 
every  express  book  (ask  your  agent  to  show  it  to  you  if  there 
is  any  dispute  over  charges)  now  as  follows:  "  Pigeons, 
homing,  merchandise  rate."  Tell  the  agent  to  look  in  the  P's 
for  Pigeons  and  he  will  find  it  there. 

For  carrying  most  live-stock  short  distances,  the  animal 
rate  (which  is  double  the  merchandise  rate)  is  charged.  This 
is  a  peculiar  rule  when  it  was  formerly  applied  to  pigeons,  and 
it  worked  so  that  the  buyer  at  a  remote  point  got  his  ship- 
ment cheaper  than  the  buyer  nearer  us.  For  instance,  we 


HOW  WE  SHIP  PIGEONS. 

Care  and  skill  exercised  in  shipping  live  pigeons  are  large  factors  in  satisfying 
customers.  It  is  not  a  pleasant  experience  to  send  money  away  for  pigeons  and 
have  them  reach  you  in  a  home-made  box,  generally  of  enormous  weight,  and  bearing 
enormous  express  charges. 

We  originated  the  above  style  of  shipping  and  have  two  thousand  shipping 
baskets  in  use.  They  are  expensive  but  by  their  use  we  are  able  to  guarantee  safe 
arrival.  The  customer  receives  his  shipment  in  faultless  condition. 

The  small  bag  of  grain  on  top  of  the  basket,  tied  to  it,  is  for  the  use  of  the  express- 
man in  feeding  the  birds  en  route.  The  tin  water  dish  is  at  the  end  of  the  basket, 
outside,  where  it  ought  to  be,  not  inside. 

These  shipping  baskets  remain  our  property  and  are  returned  to  us  empty  at  our 
expense  after  the  customer  has  released  his  birds. 


GETTING   AHEAD  99 

could  ship  a  crate  of  pigeons  to  Chicago  from  Boston  cheaper 
than  we  could  to  Buffalo.  All  the  express  companies  doing 
business  in  the  United  States  and  Canada  have  the  same  rule, 
which  is,  that  between  points  where  the  single  or  merchandise 
rate  is  two  dollars  or  more  per  hundred  pounds,  live  animals, 
boxed,  crated  or  caged,  are  charged  for  transportation  at  the 
single  or  merchandise  rate.  Between  points  where  the  single 
or  merchandise  rate  is  less  than  two  dollars  per  hundred 
pounds,  live  animals  are  charged  the  animal  rate  (which  is 
double  the  merchandise  rate).  Poultry  (not  pigeons)  are 
charged  the  one  and  one-half  rate  when  the  rate  per  one  hun- 
dred pounds  is  less  than  two  dollars. 

In  order  to  obtain  the  lowest  rate  of  transportation,  the 
value  of  each  pigeon  must  be  stated  by  the  shipper  at  five 
dollars  or  less. 

We  have  seen  breeders  who  have  been  shipping  live-stock 
for  years  and  they  never  heard  of  the  above  rule  of  the 
express  companies,  and  also  we  have  seen  scores  of  express 
agents  who  did  not  know  of  their  own  rule,  but  always  charged 
the  animal  rate  on  animal  shipments.  But  the  rule  is  found 
in  every  graduated  charge  book  of  every  express  company 
and  the  experienced  expressmen  and  experienced  shippers 
know  all  about  it.  If  the  agent  in  your  town  is  ignorant  of 
the  rule,  ask  him  for  his  graduated  charge  book.  Man}7 
express  agents  at  local  points  seldom  handle  a  pigeon  ship- 
ment and  do  not  know  how  to  charge  for  it. 

A  live  animal  contract  release,  to  be  signed  both  by  shipper 
and  express  agent,  is  needed  in  all  cases  where  the  value  of 
each  pigeon  is  more  than  five  dollars.  If  pigeons  which  we 
ship  are  killed  in  a  smash -up,  we  can  recover  from  the  com- 
pany. We  have  no  hesitation,  therefore,  in  guaranteeing  the 
safe  delivery  of  our  pigeons  to  customers.  Our  respon- 
sibility does  not  end  when  we  have  given  them  to  the  express- 
man. Our  guarantee  follows  them  as  long  as  they  are  in  the 
hands  of  the  express  company.  We  will  put  them  into  your 
hands  safe  and  sound. 

Once  in  a  while  you  will  read  of  live-stock  and  breeding 
associations  getting  together  and  complaining  about  the 
"  exorbitant  rates  "  charged  by  the  express  companies.  The 
trouble  is  not  with  the  rates  of  the  express  companies,  but  lies 
wholly  in  the  ignorance  of  the  breeders  who  meet  to  complain. 


100      NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB   BOOK 

They  simply  do  not  know  how  to  ship  and  how  to  talk  to  the 
express  agents. 

We  never  read  the  above  advice  as  to  shipping  live-stock  in 
any  book  or  paper.  It  is  the  product  of  our  own  experience 
and  the  information  cost  us  at  least  one  hundred  dollars  in 
excess  charges  before  we  learned  how  to  get  the  low  rate. 
It  is  worth  dollars  to  our  customers. 

No  express  agent  anywhere  has  a  right  to  make  any  extra 
charges  whatever  on  our  pigeon  shipments. 

There  is  no  duty  on  our  pigeons  to  Canada,  Cuba  or  Porto 
Rico,  when  we  send  with  the  pigeons  and  also  to  the  customer, 
as  we  do,  a  certificate  of  purity  of  breed,  declaring  that  the 
pigeons  are  for  breeding,  and  not  to  be  killed  for  market. 

Squab  breeders  having  special  customers  who  wish  the  squabs 
plucked  should  pack  them  in  a  clean  white  wood  box  (with  ice 
in  the  summer)  and  nail  the  box  up  tight.  Such  shipments  go 
through  in  splendid  condition  and  if  the  breeder  has  a  choice 
article,  with  the  Plymouth  Rock  trade  mark  stamped  on  the 
box,  he  gets  the  fancy  price.  Squabs  which  reach  the  Boston 
market  from  jobbers  in  Philadelphia  and  New  York  are  plucked 
and  packed  with  ice  in  barrels.  Breeders  around  Boston  who 
reach  the  Boston  market  with  undressed  squabs  send  them  in 
boxes  or  wicker  hampers  or  baskets  on  the  morning  of  the  day 
after  they  are  killed. 

Since  January  1,  1913,  killed  squabs  have  been  mailable  by 
parcel  post  in  the  zone  where  the  shipment  originates.  One 
squab  may  be  sent  to  a  customer  inside  the  zone  for  only  a 
nickel.  Squabs  which  are  mailed  by  parcel  post  should  be 
wrapped  first  in  white  waxed  paper  and  then  in  stout  brown 
paper  or  corrugated  pasteboard.  The  parcel  post  is  helping 
those  squab  breeders  who  wish  to  sell  one  or  two  or  three  pairs 
or  more  direct  to  consumers  with  a  quick  delivery.  Live  pig- 
eons cannot  be  mailed. 

Killed  squabs  go  to  market  by  express  not  at  the  express  rate 
charged  for  ordinary  merchandise,  but  at  a  specially  low  rate 
known  as  the  "  general  special "  rate.  For  full  particulars 
how  to  get  this  great  saving  in  express  charges  when  shipping 
killed  squabs,  see  page  401  of  this  book,  where  the  whole  matte? 
is  explained  in  thorough  detail.  Do  not  assume  that  your  ex- 
press agent  knows  about  this  low  rate.  Some  of  them. do  but 
most  do  not  and  it  is  money  in  your  pocket  to  tell  them. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS. 

Women  and  Squab  Breeding — Attentions  of  the  Male  to  the 
Female  Pigeon  —  Equal  Number  of  Males  and  Females 
—  Birds  Flying  Wild  —  Sale  of  Birds  for  Flyers  — 
Variation  in  Size  of  Nest  Boxes  —  How  Squabs  are 
Artificially  Fattened  —  Shipping  to  England  —  Training 
Flyers  —  A  Remarkable  Service  for  Messages  between 
Islands. 

Question.  I  am  a  woman  who  knows  absolutely  nothing 
of  squab  raising.  Do  you  think  I  can  make  a  success  of  it? 
Answer.  Our  books  are  written  and  printed  for  the  purpose 
of  telling  an  absolutely  ignorant  person  just  how  to  proceed. 
If  you  will  study  this  Manual,  until  you  get  the  general  plan 
and  method  of  procedure  in  your  mind,  there  is  no  reason 
why  you  cannot  make  a  success  of  it.  A  woman  is  quick 
enough  to  puzzle  out  a  new  pattern  of  embroidery  or  a  blind 
cooking  recipe  the  terms  of  which  are  expressed  in  language 
utterly  incomprehensible  to  a  man.  We  find  that  our  women 
customers  are  just  as  quick  to  comprehend  pigeons  as  soon  as 
they  get  started.  It  is  necessary  to  have  confidence,  first, 
that  the  birds  can  make  money,  and  second,  that  you  are  able 
to  handle  them  right.  Women  succeed  with  hens  quite  as 
well  as  men.  They  "  take  "  to  animals  fully  as  well  as  men. 
The  fact  that  you,  our  customer,  are  a  woman,  ought  to 
encourage  rather  than  depress  you,  in  the  squab  business. 

Question.  I  have  an  old  poultry  house  fifteen  by  twenty 
feet  in  size,  ten  feet  high.  How  many  pairs  of  pigeons  can  I 
accommodate?  Answer.  We  have  this  question  asked  us 
many  times,  and  our  reply  to  all  is  the  same.  Sometimes  the 
customer  varies  it  by  asking,  How  large  a  house  do  I  need  to 
accommodate  one  hundred  pairs  of  breeders?  Sometimes 
they  say  they  propose  remodeling  a  barn  loft  which  is  thirty 
by  twenty  feet  in  size.  The  dimensions  of  the  building  vary 
with  the  customer.  You  can  always  accommodate  in  theory 
as  many  pairs  of  breeders  as  you  can  make  room  for  pairs  of 
nest  boxes.  Fix  up  your  building  to  suit  yourself  and  put  in 


102     NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

as  many  nest  boxes  as  you  wish.  Then  count  your  nest 
boxes  and  you  will  know  how  many  birds  you  can  accommo- 
date. You  must  have  two  nest  boxes  for  every  pair  of  birds. 
Always  allow  more  nest  boxes  than  there  are  pigeons,  and  do 
not  crowd  the  birds,  as  we  have  explained  on  page  29. 

Question.  How  does  the  male  bird  impregnate  the  female 
bird?  They  do  not  seem  to  me  to  act  as  roosters  and  hens  do. 
Answer.  The  human  eye  is  not  sharp  and  quick  enough  to 
follow  the  actions  of  the  male  bird.  He  mounts  the  female 
in  a  manner  which  is  called  "  treading."  A  female  occasion- 
ally will  "  tread  "  the  male  bird,  exactly  as  a  female  animal 
when  in  excessive  heat  sometimes  will  mount  the  male,  or 
another  female.  Customers  who  had  what  they  thought  was 
a  doubtful  pair  sometimes  have  written  us  saying  that  each 
would  tread  the  other,  and  that  of  course  both  were  males. 
After  a  while  the  same  customer  would  write  and  say  that  the 
pair  fooled  him  and  that  he  had  two  eggs  from  them.  The 
actions  are  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  of  course,  a  positive  guide, 
but  there  are  exceptions  to  every  rule. 

Question.  (1)  The  legs  of  the  pigeon  you  sent  me  are 
red;  are  they  inflamed?  (2)  The  droppings  are  soft  and 
mushy;  I  am  afraid  they  have  diarrhoea.  What  shall  I  do? 
(3)  Most  of  my  pigeons  have  a  warty-like  substance  on  their 
bills,  varying  in  size  with  the  pigeon;  how  shall  I  get  rid  of  it? 
Answer.  (1)  The  red  color  which  you  see  is  perfectly  natural. 
The  legs  of  all  Homer  pigeons  are  red.  (2)  The  natural 
droppings  of  the  pigeon  are  soft  and  somewhat  loose.  When 
they  have  diarrhoea  the  droppings  are  extremely  watery  and 
the  tail  feathers  are  soiled.  Your  pigeons  are  all  right  and 
have  no  diarrhoea.  (3)  The  growth  of  which  you  speak  is 
perfectly  natural.  It  varies  in  size  with  the  pigeon,  sometimes 
covering  the  base  of  the  bill,  in  other  cases  clinging  closely  to  it. 

Question.  Can  I  figure  with  certainty  that  of  each  pair 
of  squabs  which  my  birds  hatch,  one  is  a  male  and  the  other 
a  female?  Answer.  Not  with  absolute  certainty,  but  as  a 
rule.  It  is  Nature's  way  to  provide  for  an  equal  number  of 
males  and  females,  for  that  is  the  way  the  species  mates  and 
is  reproduced. 

Question.  Enclosed  find  ten  dollars,  for  which  please  send 
me  settings  of  pigeon  eggs  to  that  value,  and  send  me  the 
balance  due,  if  any.  Answer.  We  do  not  sell  pigeon  eggs. 


Q  UESTIONS  AND  A NSWERS  103 

It  is  impossible  to  use  an  incubator  and  raise  pigeons  success- 
fully, because  there  is  no  way  of  feeding  the  young  squabs 
when  they  are  hatched.  The  life  of  squabs  is  nourished  and 
prolonged  from  day  to  day  by  the  parent  birds,  which  feed 
them.  To  raise  squabs,  you  must  start  by  buying  the  adult 
breeders.  You  cannot  start  with  the  eggs. 

Question.  It  seems  to  me  that  if  each  pair  of  squabs 
hatched  consists  of  male  and  female,  that  this  couple  is  likely 
to  pair  when  grown,  being  well  acquainted  with  each  other. 
This  would  be  inbreeding  and  would  weaken  my  flock.  What 
shall  I  do?  Answer.  It  is  not  the  plan  of  the  species  to  mate 
and  inbreed  like  this.  If  brother  and  sister  mated  as  you 
describe,  the  species  would  be  extinct  after  a  while.  They 
will  look  for  new  mates  as  soon  as  they  get  out  of  the  nest  and 
are  of  breeding  age. 

Question.  When  are  the  young  pigeons  old  enough  to 
mate?  Answer.  At  from  four  to  six  months. 

Question.  My  birds  do  not  know  enough  to  go  in  from  the 
roof  of  the  squab  house  when  it  rains.  How  shall  I  get  them 
in?  Answer.  Let  them  stay  on  the  roof  in  the  rain  if  they 
wish.  The  rain  will  do  them  no  harm. 

Question.  Must  I  heat  the  squab  house  in  the  winter  time? 
Answer.  No.  The  heat  from  a  flock  of  pigeons  in  a  well- 
built  house  is  considerable.  You  will  get  more  squabs  from 
your  pigeons  in  the  winter  time  if  you  do  heat  your  house 
slightly,  not  enough  to  cause  much  expense,  but  just  enough 
to  take  the  chill  off.  Do  not  let  your  birds  out  of  the  squab 
house  on  bitter  cold  days. 

Question.  I  live  in  Texas  and  I  think  in  this  climate  your 
squab  house  would  be  too  warm  and  stuffy.  Answer.  You 
are  right.  Adapt  the  construction  to  your  locality.  The 
poultry  houses  in  Texas  as  compared  to  those  in  the  North 
are  much  less  expensive  and  more  open  to  the  air,  and  your 
squab  house  should  be  built  on  the  same  principle. 

Question.  Suppose  I  cool  the  squabs  as  you  direct  and 
pack  them  into  a  box  for  shipment,  shall  I  use  ice?  Is  there 
any  danger  that  the  meat  will  be  discolored  when  they  arrive 
at  market?  Answer.  Ice  is  not  necessary  in  the  fall,  winter 
and  spring.  In  the  summer  time  you  should  use  ice,  although 
if  the  shipment  is  for  a  short  distance,  ice  may  not  be  necessary. 
In  hot  weather  the  squabs  should  not  be  killed  until  the  night 


104     NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

before  shipping.  In  the  cool  months  you  may  keep  them 
at  home  longer.  If  the  squabs  are  cooled  by  hanging  them 
from  studding  as  we  describe,  there  is  no  danger  that  the 
meat  will  be  discolored.  The  object  of  hanging  them  from 
studding  is  to  cool  the  carcasses  properly  so  that  the  meat 
will  not  be  discolored  by  contact. 

Question.  How  shall  I  pack  the  killed  squabs  when  I  send 
them  to  market?  Answer.  Lay  them  in  the  box  layer  on 
layer,  in  an  orderly  fashion.  Do  not"  throw  them  in  helter 
skelter. 

Question.  Can  I  hang  the  squabs  to  cool  from  studding 
suspended  in  the  barn,  in  the  summer  time?  Answer.  It  is 
better  to  use  the  cellar  of  the  house,  or  the  coolest  room  in  the 
house. 

Question.  I  do  not  like  your  idea  of  keeping  the  birds 
wired  in.  They  are  free  by  nature  and  it  strikes  me  that  they 
should  have  a  chance  to  get  exercise  by  long  flights.  Answer. 
You  must  keep  them  wired  in,  or  they  may  leave  you.  Re- 
member that  the  Homer  is  attached  to  the  place  where  it  is 
bred,  that  is  the  Homer  instinct.  If  you  buy  birds  of  us  and 
on  opening  the  crate  let  them  fly  anywhere  they  choose, 
trusting  to  luck  to  have  them  come  back  to  you,  you  may  be 
disappointed  and  lose  some  of  the  birds.  You  must  keep 
them  wired  in  all  the  time. 

Question.  You  say  your  Homers  are  fine  flyers.  What  is 
the  use  of  my  buying  them  of  you  to  fly  in  races  or  to  sell 
again  as  flyers,  if  they  may  desert  me  when  I  let  them  out 
into  the  open  air?  Answer.  The  squabs  which  you  breed 
from  our  birds  will  know  no  home  but  yours,  and  they  will 
not  fly  away  from  you.  You  can  send  them  away,  when  they 
are  old  enough,  and  time  their  flight  back  to  your  house, 
their  home.  When  you  sell  these  trained  flyers  to  others, 
you  do  not  expect  that  they  will  try  to  fly  them,  but  that  they 
will  use  them  for  breeders. 

Question.  How  large  are  the  mating  coops?  Answer. 
A  convenient  size  is  two  feet  long,  two  feet  wide  and  two  feet 


Question.  My  birds  seem  timid  and  I  am  afraid  to  catch 
them.  How  shall  I  go  about  it?  Answer.  Do  not  be  afraid 
of  hurting  them.  Take  a  broom  and  drive  one  where  you 
will,  finally  pinning  it  against  the  side  of  the  squab  house,  or 


QUESTIONS  AND   ANSWERS  105 

in  a  corner.  Grasp  it  and  hold  its  wings  firmly  and  it  will  not 
struggle.  Or  you  may  make  a  net  on  the  end  of  a  pole,  like 
an  ordinary  fish  landing  net,  and  scoop  the  bird  into  it  as  it 
flies  through  the  air. 

Question.  Suppose  I  have  several  squab  houses,  as  you 
describe,  but  let  all  the  birds  together  in  one  large  flying  pen, 
where  they  can  bathe  from  one  large  fountain.  Answer. 
This  is  all  right  if  you  do  not  wish  to  keep  close  track  of  your 
birds.  If  the  birds  can  roam  from  one  house  to  another, 
there  is  nothing  to  prevent  a  pair  from  building  one  nest  on 
one  house  and  then  going  to  another  house  to  build  the  second 
nest. 

Question.  How  many  squabs  shall  I  pack  in  one  box  when 
sending  to  market?  Answer.  Having  picked  out  the  size 
of  the  box  you  wish,  fill  it  up  close  with  squabs,  so  they  will 
not  "  shuck."  As  to  the  size  of  the  box,  make  it  as  big  or 
little  as  you  please,  but  do  not  make  it  any  bigger  than  one 
expressman  can  handle  easily.  A  good  size  is  two  feet  square 
and  one  foot  deep. 

Question.  Send  me  two  males  and  ten  females.  Answer. 
You  must  buy  your  birds  in  pairs.  They  pair  off  in  this  way, 
namely,  one  male  to  one  female.  One  male  does  not  have 
two  or  three  females.  We  have  heard  pigeon  breeders  talk 
of  having  one  cock  which  would  attend  two  hens,  but  never 
had  a  case  in  our  experience. 

Question.  After  plucking  the  squab,  and  before  sending 
it  to  market,  do  you  remove  the  entrails?  Answer.  No. 

Question.  In  order  to  avoid  the  trouble  of  using  the  mat- 
ing coop,  may  I  put  an  equal  number  of  cocks  and  hens  in 
the  same  pen?  Answer.  Yes. 

Question.  Can  I  discover  the  male  and  female  organs  by 
examination  of  the  birds  with  a  magnifying  glass?  Answer. 
No.  You  can  discover  them  by  dissecting  the  dead  bird. 

Question.  Suppose  I  wish  to  put  a  strip  of  wood  across  the 
front  of  the  nest  box  ?  Answer.  See  page  30  and  follow  the 
directions  there  given.  There  are  differences  of  opinion  with 
regard  to  nest  boxes  and  each  has  its  advocates.  If  you  use 
either  design  shown  on  page  30,  you  will  be  safe,  for  both  are 
in  successful  use.  If  in  doubt,  fit  up  some  boxes  in  one  style 
and  some  in  the  other  and  see  how  they  work.  The  pigeon  will 
fly  directly  into  the  nest,  or  onto  the  nest  box  in  front  of  the  nest. 


106     NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

Question.  Seems  to  me  that  if  I  start  with  forty-eight 
pairs  of  birds,  I  ought  to  have  ninety-six  perches.  Answer. 
The  birds  do  not  all  perch  at  the  same  time.  While  some 
are  perching,  others  are  on  the  nests,  or  walking  on  the  floor, 
or  are  outside  in  the  flying  pen,  or  on  the  roof.  Put  up  a  few 
perches  where  you  have  room  and  let  it  go  at  that. 

Question.  I  live  in  England;  can  you  ship  me  twenty-four 
pairs  of  your  breeders?  Answer.  Yes;  the  transportation 
charges  will  be  four  dollars.  In  addition  you  will  have  to  pay 
the  butcher  or  steward  of  the  boat  ten  shillings  for  feeding 
and  watering  the  birds.  Send  us  six  dollars  and  fifty  cents 
in  addition  to  the  regular  price  of  the  birds  and  we  will  ship 
to  you  all  charges  prepaid.  In  shipping  to  Cuba  and  remote 
points  in  the  United  States  and  Canada,  we  do  not  have  to 
pay  anything  extra  for  the  feeding  and  watering  of  the  birds; 
the  express  charges  include  the  feeding  and  watering. 

Question.  What  is  a  Runt  pigeon?  Please  quote  prices 
on  a  dozen  pairs  of  Runts.  Answer.  A  Runt  pigeon  is  a 
special  breed  of  pigeon,  remarkable  for  its  large  size.  They 
come  all  colors,  as  a  Homer  does.  The  white  Runts  are  an 
exceptionally  beautiful  bird  and  command  large  prices,  as 
high  as  six  dollars  to  fifteen  dollars  a  pair.  The  squabs  which 
Runts  breed  weigh  from  eighteen  ounces  to  one  and  one-half 
pounds  at  four  weeks.  If  Runts  bred  as  fast  as  Homers,  they 
would  be  just  the  bird  for  squab  breeders,  but  they  are 
fatally  slow  in  breeding,  as  a  rule.  The  Homers  raise  two 
pairs  of  squabs  to  the  Runts'  one.  Therefore  it^s  of  course 
more  profitable  to  raise  Homers.  We  do  not  sell  Runts  and 
do  not  advocate  their  use  either  as  a  separate  breed,  or 
crossed  up  with  Homers.  The  large,  plump,  thoroughbred 
Homer  is  the  best. 

Question.  What  is  the  difference  between  the  Homer  and 
Antwerp  breeds  of  pigeons?  Answer.  No  difference.  The 
name  is  used  interchangeably  to  apply  to  the  same  breed  of 
pigeon.  In  New  England  we  speak  of  them  mostly  as 
Homers.  In  some  places  they  are  called  more  often  Antwerps. 

Question.  Can  I  feed  some  of  my  squabs  by  hand  if  nec- 
essary? Answer.  Yes.  Mix  up  a  mushy,  soft  handful  of 
grain,  hold  the  squab  in  the  left  hand,  close  to  your  body,  and 
with  the  thumb  and  first  finger  of  your  right  hand  force  the 


Q  UESTIONS  AND  A NSWERS  107 

mixture  into  the  bill.  The  squab  will  swallow  and  fill  its 
crop.  A  backward  squab  may  be  forced  in  this  manner. 

Question.  Can  you  sell  me  twelve  pairs  of  young  Homers, 
about  eight  weeks  old?  Answer.  No.  It  is  impossible  to 
tell  the  sex  of  pigeons  of  that  age.  Any  breeder  who  under- 
takes to  furnish  squabs  several  weeks  old  in  equal  males  and 
females  cannot  do  so  and  is  imposing  on  you. 

Question.  Please  give  recipes  for  cooking  squabs.  An- 
swer. See  the  cook  books.  Squabs  are  generally  served 
broiled.  They  should  be  drawn,  singed  and  washed.  Cut 
off  the  heads,  split  into  two  parts,  season,  put  on  a  lump  of 
butter  and  broil  over  a  hot  fire.  Place  close  to  the  fire  at 
first  so  as  to  brown  the  outside  and  retain  the  juices,  then 
hold  further  away  from  the  fire  to  complete  the  cooking.  If 
roasted,  leave  them  in  a  hot  oven  for  thirty  minutes.  For 
roasting,  squabs  may  be  stuffed  with  cranberries  or  currants. 
Baste  every  ten  minutes  with  spoonfuls  of  hot  water  and 
butter. 

Question.  How  shall  I  train  the  young  birds  raised  from 
your  Homers  to  fly?  Answer.  There  is  a  large  business  in 
flying  Homers  and  if  you  have  a  pen  or  two  of  trained  birds 
you  can  sell  them  at  fancy  prices.  There  are  homing  clubs 
all  over  the  country  which  have  contests  and  it  is  worth  while 
for  a  breeder  to  work  for  a  reputation  of  breeding  and  selling 
fast  flyers.  The  young  Homers  when  five  months  old  are 
strong  enough  to  be  trained  to  fly.  Take  them  in  a  basket 
(having  omitted  to  feed  them)  a  mile  or  two  away,  and 
liberate  them  one  by  one.  They  will  circle  in  the  air,  then 
choose  the  correct  course.  You  should  have  left  grain  for 
them  as  a  reward  for  their  safe  arrival  home,  and  an  induce- 
ment for  their  next  experience  in  flying.  Two  or  three  days 
later  take  or  send  them  away  five  miles  and  repeat.  Next 
try  ten  miles,  and  so  work  on  by  easy  stages  up  to  seventy- 
five  or  one  hundred  miles.  If  you  have  a  friend  in  another 
city,  you  may  send  your  birds  in  a  basket  to  him  with  instruc- 
tions to  liberate  certain  ones  at  certain  hours,  or  you  may 
send  the  basket  by  train  to  any  express  agent,  along  with  a 
letter  telling  him  to  liberate  the  birds  at  a  certain  hour  and 
send  the  basket  back  to  you.  If  you  wish  to  have  the  birds 
carry  a  message,  write  it  on  a  piece  of  cigarette  paper  (or  any 
strong  tissue),  wrap  the  paper  around  the  leg  of  the  bird  and 


SELF-FEEDER  FOR  GRAIN 


SELF-F  E  E  D  I  N  G 
GRAIN  TROUGH.  It 
is  quite  difficult  to  de- 
vise a  grain  trough 
from  which  the  pigeons 
cannot  throw  grain 
out,  as  they  poke 
around  in  search  of 
tid-bits.  The  trough 
illustrated  at  the  top  of 
this  page  is  a  good  one. 
The  grain  falls  down  in 
each  compartment  as 
fast  as  it  is  eaten.  The 
pigeons  when  eating 
stand  in  the  front  part 
of  the  trough  and  if 
they  pull  out  any  grain, 
this  is  not  scattered  on 
the  floor  of  the  squab- 
house  but  on  the  board 
front,  from  which  it 
may  be  swept  up  as 
necessary.  This  pat- 
tern of  trough  was  de- 
signed by  Dr.  F.  D. 
Clum.  One  sketch 

shows  the  box  without  cover  and  the  other  with  cover  in  its  proper  place,  protecting 
the  entire  box  and  contents  from  droppings  of  the  birds.  The  dimensions  do  not  mat- 
ter.  A  good  size  would  be  about  four  feet  long  and  two  feet  wide.  This  would  allow 
for  feed  compartments  about  five  inches  wide,  nine  in  number. 

The  trough  for  grain  illustrated  at  the  bottom  of  this  page  is  for  use  when  feeding  by 
hand  twice  a  day.     It  was  devised  by  Charles  W.  Brown.     It  is  simple  and  open,  still 

the  birds  cannot  foul 
the  grain  in  it.  The 
size  shown  in  the  pic- 
ture is  four  inches  wide 
and  two  inches  deep 
inside,  thirty-six  inches 
long  outside.  Twenty 
birds  can  feed  at  once 
at  this  size.  The  ends 
are  four  inches  high 
inside  to  centre  of 
pivot.  These  Divots 
are  the  feature  of  the 
trough  and  give  it  its 
novelty.  The  birds 
cannot  get  into  the  box 
and  foul  the  feed  be- 
cause the  bar  is  in  the 
way.  As  the  bar  is 
pivoted  and  turns 
when  they  alight  on  it, 
they  cannot  roost  on 
it.  The  pivoted  wood 
bar  is  of  one-inch 
square  stock.  The  box 
also  is  of  one-inch 
stock,  so  as  to  be  heavy 
and  strong.  The  box 
is  deep  enough  to  pre- 
vent birds  from  throw- 
ing out  the  grain  when 
enough  for  twenty 

birds  for  one  meal  is  in  it.  There  is  space  between  the  edge  of  box  and  the  bar  ample 
for  the  birds  to  feed,  but  not  enough  space  for  them  to  get  into  the  feeder.  The  fact 
that  the  bar  is  pivoted  does  not  prevent  the  birds  from  alighting  on  it  but,  being  pivoted, 
the  bar  turns  as  soon  as  they  alight  on  it  and  off  they  go.  They  soon  learn  to  keep  off 
it.  The  illustrations  and  descriptions  of  both  these  troughs  are  taken  by  permission 
from  the  National  Squab  Magazine. 

108 


OPEN  TROUGH  WITH  REVOLVING  BAR 


QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS  109 

tie  with  thread,  or  fasten  with  glue  or  a  stamp ;  or,  you  may 
tie  the  tissue  around  one  of  the  tail  feathers.  A  thin  alu- 
minum tube  containing  the  message  may  be  fastened  to  a 
leg,  or  to  a  tail  feather.  A  trap  window  should  be  constructed 
to  time  the  arrival  home  of  birds.  This  is  an  aperture  about 
six  inches  square  closed  by  wires  hanging  from  a  piece  of  wood 
at  the  top  of  the  aperture  and  swinging  inward,  but  held  close 
to  the  aperture  by  its  own  weight.  The  pigeon  cannot  fly 
out  but  on  its  return  home  (if  you  have  sprinkled  grain  on  the 
inside  of  the  house,  next  the  wires)  the  bird  will  push  the  wire 
door  and  go  in.  It  takes  only  a  day  or  two  for  the  pigeon  to 
become  accustomed  to  the  trap.  If  you  connect  the  trap 
with  a  simple  make-and-break  electric  circuit,  the  pigeon  on 
its  arrival  home  from  its  flight  will  ring  a  bell  in  any  part  of 
your  house  or  barn.  When  you  have  a  record  of  the  flyers, 
you  will  have  a  guide  for  mating.  The  majority  of  fanciers 
recommend  a  medium-sized  Homer.  A  large  hen  should  be 
mated  to  a  small  cock,  or  a  large  cock  to  a  small  hen.  What 
is  perhaps  the  best  pigeon  service  in  the  world  has  been  in  use 
for  several  years  between  Newton  Roads,  Auckland,  New 
Zealand,  and  the  Great  Barrier  and  Maro  Tiro  Islands,  some 
seventy-five  miles  distant.  A  boy  of  sixteen  years  worked 
up  the  service  and  makes  a  large  income  from  it.  About 
twenty  messages  an  hour  are  carried  back  and  forth  by  the 
Homers.  A  year  ago  the  government  declared  its  intention 
of  laying  a  cable  from  Auckland  to  Great  Barrier.  The 
project  was  abandoned,  however,  as  the  residents  of  the  little 
island  decided  that  they  were  well  pleased  with  the  pigeons, 
and  that  a  cable  would  not  be  patronized.  The  government 
offered  to  buy  the  whole  pigeon  outfit  from  the  boy  owner, 
but  he  refused.  There  are  from  four  hundred  to  five  hundred 
pairs  of  pigeons  in  the  service. 

Question.  In  the  case  of  young  birds  mated  up  for  the 
first  time  at  five  or  six  months  of  age,  is  it  best  to  destroy  the 
first  eggs,  or  let  them  go  ahead  and  hatch  in  the  regular  way? 
Answer.  Let  them  go  ahead  and  hatch  and  learn  to  feed  their 
young.  It  will  improve  them  for  the  next  hatch. 

Question.  Please  describe  the  self-feeder  more  fully  and 
explain  its  operation.  Answer.  The  hopper  of  the  feeder 
is  V-shaped  so  that  the  grain  will  fall  by  its  own  weight  to  the 
centre  at  the  bottom,  which  is  cut  away  as  shown  in  the 


110     NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

illustration  so  that  as  the  birds  peck  up  the  grain,  more  falls 
from  the  hopper.  The  slit  where  the  birds  eat  should  be 
about  an  inch  and  a  half  in  width,  just  enough  to  prevent  the 
grain  from  running  out  faster  than  it  is  eaten.  If  the  grain  is 
pulled  out  on  the  floor,  tack  a  strip  of  wood,  like  a  lath,  so  as 
partly  to  block  the  holes. 

Question.  Should  I  cover  the  yard  of  the  flying  pen  with 
your  grit?  Answer.  No.  Provide  a  box  and  keep  our  grit  in 
the  box.  When  the  pigeons  want  grit,  they  will  go  to  the 
box  and  get  it. 

Question.  Are  the  carrier  (flying)  pigeons  the  same  breed 
as  your  Homers?  Answer.  Yes.  A  flying  or  carrier  Homer 
is  a  Homer  that  has  been  trained  to  fly  a  long  distance. 

Question.  What  are  artificially  fattened  squabs?  An- 
swer. An  artificially  fattened  squab  is  a  squab  which  has 
been  stuffed  by  hand.  Take  a  syringe  and  fill  it  with  fattening 
mixture  of  gruel-like  consistency,  open  the  mouth  of  the  squab 
and  force  the  contents  of  the  syringe  into  the  crop  of  the  squab. 
Very  few  breeders  take  this  trouble  to  bring  their  squabs  to  an 
extraordinary  size. 

Question.  I  wish  you  had  shipped  my  breeders  in  one 
large  crate,  then  the  express  charges  would  not  have  been  so 
much  as  for  the  two  crates  which  you  used.  Answer.  You 
are  mistaken.  An  express  shipment  goes  by  weight  and  not 
by  number  of  packages.  The  express  clerks  put  all  the  crates 
going  to  one  customer  on  the  scales  together  and  weigh  them 
all  at  once  and  on  the  total  weight  the  charge  is  based.  They 
prefer  to  handle  a  large  shipment  in  small  packages,  rather 
than  in  one  large  package. 

Question.  Can  I  use  the  upper  part  of  my  henhouse  for 
pigeons,  and  if  so  will  the  pigeons  interfere  in  the  flying  pen 
with  the  hens?  Answer.  You  may  use  the  upper  part  of 
your  henhouse  and  the  pigeons  will  not  be  harmed  by  the 
hens,  nor  the  hens  by  the  pigeons.  It  is  best  to  build  the 
flying  pen  in  two  stories  so  that  the  pigeons  cannot  fly  into 
the  henhouse  to  try  to  nest. 

Question.  To  save  room,  I  would  like  to  build  my  pigeon 
house  in  two  stories.  Answer.  That  is  all  right.  Build  the 
top  flying  pen  out  over  and  extending  beyond  the  bottom 
flying  pen  if  you  wish  to  separate  the  flocks  on  the  ground 
floor  from  the  flocks  upstairs. 


QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS  111 

Question.  What  are  the  bands  for  pigeons'  legs  and  how 
are  they  applied?  Answer.  The  seamless  band  is  a  ring  of 
aluminum  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter  and  from 
three-sixteenths  to  one-quarter  of  an  inch  in  width.  You 
cannot  apply  it  to  an  old  pigeon.  It  is  put  on  either  leg  of  a 
squab  when  the  squab  is  four  or  five  days  old,  by  squeezing 
the  toes  of  the  squab  through  the  band.  As  the  leg  of  the 
squab  grows,  it  becomes  impossible  to  remove  the  band 
except  by  cutting  it  off.  On  the  band,  before  putting  it  on 
the  leg  of  the  squab,  you  may  stamp  year  of  birth  and  your 
initials,  or  anything  you  choose.  We  sell  an  outfit  consisting 
of  aluminum  tubing,  dies,  etc.,  by  which  the  squab  breeder 
may  make  his  own  bands  at  a  cost  of  two  or  three  for  a  cent. 

Question.  Since  I  bought  twelve  pairs  of  you,  I  have  kept 
a  careful  account  of  the  feed,  and  find  as  you  state  that  five 
cents  a  month  for  a  pair  of  breeders  is  right.  Grain  has  been 
much  higher  than  usual  this  summer  and  it  strikes  me  that 
under  normal  conditions  of  the  grain  market  the  cost  of  a 
pair  of  squab  breeders  would  be  less  than  five  cents  a  month, 
or  sixty  cents  a  year.  Answer.  Our  figures  of  cost  were 
ascertained  not  by  "  skimping  "  the  birds,  but  feeding  them 
liberally,  and  an  estimate  of  five  cents  a  month  for  a  pair  is 
based  on  a  low  cost  of  grain,  and  on  selling  the  manure. 

Question.  What  pattern  of  trowel  do  you  recommend  for 
cleaning  the  nest  bowls  and  nest  boxes?  Answer.  The 
common  trowel  such  as  bricklayers  use  is  too  pointed.  The 
best  pattern  has  a  square  point  and  a  stout  blade  with  strong 
handle.  With  such  a  trowel  you  can  clean  out  the  nest 
bowls  and  nest  boxes  very  effectively. 

Question.  Can  pigeons  be  raised  on  the  sea-coast  as  well 
as  inland?  Answer.  Yes;  the  Homer  pigeon  is  descended 
from  a  variety  of  pigeon  which  first  bred  among  the  cliffs 
bordering  the  sea-shore. 

Question.  Do  the  squabs  fly  out  of  the  nest  before  they  are 
four  weeks  old?  Answer.  No;  they  look  old  enough  to  fly 
at  four  weeks,  and  their  wings  seem  all  ready  for  use,  but  they 
stay  in  the  nest  and  are  fed  by  the  parent  birds,  and  when  you 
wish  to  kill  them  you  find  both  in  the  nest  ready  for  you. 

Question.  Your  book  states  that  pigeons  sometimes  lay 
their  eggs  on  the  floor.  But  it  does  not  say  anything  about 
taking  the  eggs  and  putting  them  in  a  nest  bowl.  Would  the 


112      NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

birds  follow  their  eggs  and  accept  change  of  nest  from  floor  to 
nest  bowl  ?  Answer.  No ;  you  must  leave  the  eggs  where 
they  lay  them.  You  can  handle  a  nest  and  change  eggs  from 
one  nest  bowl  to  another,  if  you  wish,  but  you  cannot  move 
eggs  from  one  place  in  the  squab  house  to  another  and  expect 
the  birds  to  find  them  and  go  on  with  their  laying. 

Question.  Do  all  squab  breeders  heat  their  houses  in  the 
winter  time;  I  mean  those  who  do  a  large  business  like  your- 
self. Answer.  No;  some  breeders  of  many  years'  experience 
believe  that  a  warm  house  is  detrimental  to  the  health  of  the 
birds,  on  account  of  the  sudden  change  of  temperature  from 
a  warm  house  to  a  cold  flying  pen.  The  object  should  be 
merely  to  take  the  damp  winter  chill  off  the  air.  If  you  have 
a  warm,  tight  squab  house  which  you  will  close  when  night 
comes,  you  will  need  no  heat. 

Question.  In  the  case  of  a  long  house,  say  four  units  long, 
should  there  be  wire  netting  partitions  between  the  units,  so 
as  to  separate  the  birds  into  four  flocks?  Answer.  Such  an 
arrangement  is  more  practical  than  one  long  house.  It  is 
better  to  keep  track  of  four  small  flocks  than  one  large  flock. 
You  can  keep  account  of  the  birds  both  on  paper,  and  with 
your  eyes,  with  more  precision. 

Question.  How  is  salt  cat  made?  Answer.  Take  sixteen 
quarts  of  sand,  eight  quarts  of  slaked  lime,  four  quarts  of 
ground  oyster  shells,  one  pint  of  salt,  one  pint  of  caraway 
seeds  and  mix  with  water  into  a  stiff  mud.  Form  into  bricks 
and  set  away  to  dry.  The  water  with  which  you  mix  should 
have  a  tablespoonful  of  sulphate  of  iron  and  a  tablespoonful 
of  sulphuric  acid  for  tonic  and  disinfectant.  The  birds  peck 
at  this  mixture  and  it  is  believed  to  have  a  tonic  and  strength- 
ening effect  on  them. 

Question.  Shall  I  crowd  one  of  the  units  with  nest  boxes, 
or  would  it  be  better  to  have  a  smaller  number  of  nest  boxes 
and  build  another  unit  to  accommodate  the  new  birds  which 
I  am  going  to  buy?  Answer.  Better  enlarge  your  squab 
house.  In  case  of  doubt,  you  will  be  on  the  safer  side  if  you 
do  not  crowd  the  birds. 

(See  following  pages  for  points  which  may  occur  to  you  and 
which  are  not  covered  in  these  questions  and  answers.) 


SUPPLEMENT 

NATIONAL   STANDARD    SQUAB    BOOK 
BY  ELMER  C.   RICE 

Every  year  shows  a  healthy  growth  in  the  squab  industry  and  in  our 
business,  which  has  become  the  largest  and  most  successful  in  the  world 
in  the  pigeon  or  poultry  line,  and  is  expanding  steadily,  requiring  every  little 
while  new  buildings,  larger  business  offices,  more  help — and  the  growth  is 
going  steadily  on,  with  every  prospect  of  a  like  increase  the  coming  year. 

On  April  1,  1904,  to  get  more  room  for  the  Boston  office,  we  were  obliged 
to  move  from  No.  9  Friend  Street,  and  are  now  located  at  287  Atlantic 
avenue,  Boston,  where  in  a  new  modern  building  and  with  our  quarters  fitted 
with  every  convenience  for  the  rapid  and  accurate  handling  of  business, 
we  have  the  largest  space  in  New  England  devoted  to  the  pigeon  or  poultry 
or  kindred  trade. 

Our  Manual,  the  National  Standard  Squab  Book,  is  the  best-selling  work 
on  breeding  or  farm-life  ever  published  in  any  country,  and  has  been  carried 
in  the  mails  to  every  part  of  the  civilized  world. 

We  do  not  speak  of  these  matters  to  magnify  what  we  have  done,  but 
because  they  are  an  assurance  to  new  customers  that  we  are  entitled  to  their 
confidence  and  patronage.  We  are  grateful  to  the  men  and  women  who  have 
favored  us  so  bountifully  with  their  trade,  and  intend  to  merit  further  con- 
fidence. 

We  have  an  extremely  modern  equipment  in  our  Boston  office  for  handling 
correspondence,  including  a  $200  system  of  business  phonographs,  Edison 
patents.  Mr.  Rice  handles  the  important  part  of  the  large  correspondence, 
dictating  personal  replies  to  phonograph  cylinders  which  are  taken  by 
young  women  and  transcribed  on  typewriters.  By  the  use  of  this  phono- 
graph system,  easy,  full  and  correct  replies  for  all  letters  are  possible. 

Our  business  is  too  much  a  matter  of  pride  with  us,  too  large,  and  too 
successful,  to  permit  of  a  single  patron  being  dissatisfied.  We  have  spent 
over  $100,009  to  put  our  trade  on  a  firm  and  successful  footing  and  we  cannot 
afford  to  run  the  risk  of  displeasing  a  customer.  If  resources,  skill  and 
experience  count  for  anything,  and  we  think  they  do,  we  intend  to  keep  on 
furnishing  the  best  Homer  pigeons  possible,  and  patrons  can  rest  assured  that 
they  are  getting  for  their  money  the  greatest  possible  value.  Moreover, 
we  have  one  price  to  all;  the  customer  in  California  can  buy  of  us  as  cheaply 
as  our  next-door  neighbors.  Our  farm  is  always  open  to  inspection  and 
customers  may  make  their  own  selection  of  breeding  stock,  if  they  desire. 

Our  general  advertising  in  the  high-class  magazines  and  other  periodicals 
not  only  induces  the  breeding  of  squabs  but  also  leads  people  to  eat  squabs. 
For  every  one  who  sees  our  advertising  and  writes  for  particulars  and  starts 
breeding,  there  are  a  score  of  men  and  women  who  inquire  of  their  butchers 
or  marketmen  for  squabs  in  order  to  eat  them.  Squab  dealers  in  every 
section  of  the  United  States  and  Canada  are  reporting  an  increased  demand 
with  which  the  supply  cannot  begin  to  keep  pace. 

We  take  some  pride  in  the  squab  industry.  We  were  the  pioneers  in  it 
and  we  put  it  on  a  commercial  basis.  We  have  fostered  it  on  correct  lines 
and  accordirg  te  sound  business  principles,  and  the  growth  has  not  been  a 

U3 


114         NATIONAL   STANDARD  SQUAB   BOOK 

"  boom,"  as  some  other  things  in  the  past  have  been  boomed,  but  has  been 
steady  and  sure  and  successful.  We  paint  no  extravagant  picture  as  to  the 
profits  of  squab  raising,  and  we  show  proofs  every  step  of  the  way — stories 
of  success  of  our  customers  who  started  green  and  are  making  money. 

That  there  are  occasional  failures  is  to  be  expected.  We  give  no  recipe 
and  sell  no  machinery  for  transforming  an  incompetent  person  who  fails  at 
many  tasks  into  a  success.  But  the  history  of  this  industry  and  of  our 
business  demonstrates  with  a  power  that  cannot  be  denied  that  squab 
raising  is  right. 

No  business  climbs  up  the  hill  of  profit  steadily  for  any  length  of  time 
unless  it  is  absolutely  fair,  advertised  by  true  statements,  and  giving  a  true 
money's  worth.  When  we  began  to  tell  the  country  about  squabs,  people 
would  come  to  our  office  and  say,  "Well,  it  reads  pretty  good,  but  is  it  true?" 
We  did  not  have  much  evidence  ready  then,  but  we  have  now.  Our  answer 
is  the  present  condition  of  the  squab  industry,  forging  ahead  with  giant 
strides  to  its  place  alongside  of  eggs  and  poultry,  millions  of  dollars  in  value, 
and  the  unsolicited  letters  from  our  customers  which  we  print,  showing  the 
most  remarkable  and  convincing  progress  of  this  breeding. 

We  have  already  printed  a  great  many  of  these  letters  in  years  past,  and 
we  print  more  in  this  Supplement.  We  have  room  here  to  show  only  a 
small  part  of  such  testimony.  For  every  letter  printed  here  we  have  scores 
just  as  convincing.  These  communications  have  come  to  us  unsolicited, 
day  by  day,  as  the  business  brought  them,  and  more  are  coming  every  day, 
and  they  are  our  answer  to  doubters.  They  are  the  proof  that  what  we  say 
about  the  business  and  what  we  teach  in  the  Manual,  is  true,  and  is  being 
worked  out  successfully.  We  do  not  print  the  names  and  addresses  of  the 
writers  of  these  letters  because  many  of  them  are  regular  buyers  of  our 
birds,  and  moreover,  we  cannot  advertise  other  breeders  free  of  charge. 
These  letters  and  the  testimony  they  give  are  valueless  if  they  are  not 
genuine.  Each  and  every  one  is  genuine,  and  moreover,  we  guarantee 
their  genuineness,"  and  will  produce  the  originals  at  any  time  to  satisfy 
anybody.  In  these  days  when  many  "testimonials"  are  unblushingly 
"worked  up"  without  a  shadow  of  foundation,  there  are  skeptics,  and  to 
such  who  cannot  come  to  Boston  and  see  us,  we  recommend  that  they  send 
one  of  the  commercial  agency  men  to  make  the  inquiry  and  handle  the 
evidence.  We  have  never  yet  had  the  genuineness  of  our  letters  from 
customers  questioned,  for  they  "ring  true'  and  are  in  the  simple  language 
of  facts  which 'cannot  be  counterfeited,  but  we  are  ready  at  any  time  for 
any  doubter. 

What  others  have  done  and  are  doing  with  our  birds,  you  can  do. 


KILLING  MACHINE.  To  kill  squabs  with  clearly.  The  neck  of  the  squab  is  placed 

extreme  rapidity  we  have  made  a  machine  between  the  movable  arm  (or  lever)  and  the 

with  which  the  operator  can  work  with  much  lower  arm,  and  the  lever  is  brought  down 

ease  and  satisfaction.  The  method  of  tweak-  upon  the  neck,  breaking  the  bones,  crushing 

ing  the  necks  which  we  describe  and  illustrate  the  spinal  cord  and  killing  the  squab  instantly, 

in  the  Manual  is  slow  when  compared  with  The  operation  produces  no  blood,  nor  does 

the  work  of  this  machine,  and  is  repugnant  it  break  the  flesh.  The  two  edges  of  the 

to  many,  especially  women.  upper  and  lower  arms,  where  they  come  to- 

The    illustration    shows    the    construction  gether  against  the  neck  of  the  squab,  should 


SUPPLEMENT 


115 


not  be  sharp  so  as  to  cut  the  flesh,  but  sho_uld 
be  rounding,  and  slightly  flat  at  the  points 
of  contact. 

The  base-board  is  made  of  three-quarters 
or  one-inch  lumber,  twenty  inches  long  and 
seven  inches  wide.  The  upper  arm  (or  lever) 
is  of  half-inch  stock,  one  and  three-quarters 


inches  wide  and  fifteen  inches  long.  The 
lower  arm  is  of  half-inch  stock  one  and  three- 
quarters  inches  wide  and  eight  and  one-half 
inches  long.  The  two  upright  pieces  in 
front,  nearest  the  hand  of  the  operator,  are 
each  of  seven-eighths  or  inch  stock,  one  and 
three-quarters  inches  wide  and  three  and 
three-quarters  inches  high.  The  two  upright 
pieces  in  back,  furthest  from  the  hand  of 
the  operator,  are  each  of  seven-eighths  or 
inch  stock,  two  and  one-half  inches  wide 
and  three  and  three-quarters  inches  high. 

The  pin  at  the  back  of  the  machine  on 
which  the  lever  turns  is  of  one-quarter  inch 
brass  or  iron  rod  two  and  one-quarter  inches 

The  upper  arm  (or  lever)  is  bevelled  or 
cut  off  at  an  angle  on  lower  corner  (behind 
the  uprights,  and  consequently  invisible 
In  the  picture)  so  that  the  lever  can  be  raised 
to  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  thus  per- 
mitting the  neck  of  the  squab  to  be  inserted 
between  the  arms  at  a  point  just  back  of 
the  farther  uprights.  When  the  upper  lever 
is  at  rest  upon  the  lower  arm,  there  should 
be  no  space  between  the  two;  they  should 
butt  flush  together. 

The  whole  machine  is  built  of  wood  with 
the  exception  of  the  metal  pivot  and  the 
screws  which  hold  the  pa'ts  together.  It 
is  not  necessary  to  mortise  the  uprights 
into  the  base-board.  The  screws  which 
fasten  the  uprights  are  started  underneath 
from  the  back  side  of  the  base-board  and 
go  through  the  base-board.  Nails  may  be 
used  instead  of  screws  to  hold  the  parts 
together,  but  the  job  will  not  be  so  strong. 
The  base-board  should  be  nailed  or  screwed 
to  a  bench  or  table  so  as  to  give  firmness 
and  solidity  in  operation.  Carry  the  squabs 
in  a  basket  to  the  machine  and  kill  them 
there;  do  not  take  the  machine  into  the  pens 
and  kill  the  squabs  in  sight  of  the  other 
birds. 

We  do  not  sell  this  squab  killer.  It  should 
be  built  by  you  or  your  carpenter. 

Customers  with  large  plants  have  told  us 
that  this  tool  is  a  handy  article,  and  we 


have  found  it  indispensable.  The  squabs 
can  be  killed  as  fast  as  you  can  work  the 
lever.  The  pressure  is  considerable  and 
the  cords  are  crushed  at  once.  The  squab 
is  not  strangled  but  is  paralyzed,  and  made 
lifeless  at  once. 

For  those  who  do  not  care  to  build  a  wood 
squab- killing  machine  as  described  above, 
we  sell  pincers,  to  accomplish  the  same 
purpose  in  the  same  way;  see  our  catalogue. 
These  pincers  should  be  oiled  at  the  joint, 
and  the  joint  worked  so  that  they  will  open 
and  close  freely.  When  first  purchased 
the  joint  is  tight,  and  works  hard. 

For  dealers  who  wish  squabs  bled,  use  the 
knife  which  we  describe  in  our  catalogue. 

WEANING  THE  YOUNG  BIRDS.     If  you 

are  starting  with  a  small  flock  with  the 
expectation  of  raising  your  own  breeders, 
do  not  take  the  young  birds  away  from 
their  parents  out  of  the  breeding  pen  until 
they  are  weaned.  They  are  not  thoroughly 
weaned  until  they  are  six  or  seven  weeks  old. 
It  is  true  that  many  of  them  hop  or  fly  or 
are  pushed  out  of  the  nests  when  they  are 
from  four  to  five  weeks  old,  but  they  con- 
tinue to  cry  for  food  when  they  are 
hungry,  and  the  old  cock  bird  of  the  pair 
which  hatched  them  will  be  seen  feeding 
them  on  the  floor.  The  youngsters  at  this 
time  are  feeding  themselves,  but  to  keep 
them  strong  and  rugged  they  need  the  crumbs 
of  parental  food  which  they  get  as  described, 
and  for  which  they  cry,  or  squeak.  These 
crumbs  have  been  moistened  by  the  parent 
bird  and  consequently  digest  quicker  and 
better. 

When  the  youngsters  are  weaned,  take 
them  out  of  the  breeding  pen  and  put  them 
in  the  rearing  pen.  (The  rearing  pen  is 
fitted  with  nest-boxes,  etc.,  exactly  the  same 
as  a  breeding  pen.)  You  can  tell  by  their 
looks  when  they  are  old  enough  to  remove, 
even  if  you  have  not  kept  track  of  their  age. 
The  substance  (called  the  cere)  at  the  base 
of  the  bill  of  an  old  pigeon  which  is  white 
will  be  a  dark  brown  on  a  squab  or  young 
bird.  A  squab  in  the  nest  is  so  fat  as  often 
to  be  bigger  than  either  of  his  parents,  but 
after  he  has  got  out  of  the  nest  and  hustled 
around  on  the  floor  he  trains  off  that  fat  and 
becomes  thin  and  rangy  and  can  generally 
be  told  from  an  old  bird,  if  in  no  other  way, 
because  he  is  smaller. 

A  poor  beginner  will  sometimes  be  heard 
to  say:  "Many  of  my  young  birds  are 
dying."  When  he  says  that,  you  may  be 
sure  that  the  trouble,  every  time,  is  with 
him,  and_  not  with  his  birds,  provided,  of- 
course,  his  parent  stock  is  rugged  and  hand- 
some. It  may  be  deduced ,  without  asking  any 
further  questions,  that  he  is  taking  his  voung 
birds  away  from  the  breeding  pen  before 
they  have  the  strength  to  support  themselves. 
The  precarious  period  of  all  animal  life  is 
the  weaning  age.  Some  beginners  who  have 
had  no  difficulty  in  raising  squabs  to  market 


116 


NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB   BOOK 


age  have  had  losses  because  they  supposed 
that  a  full-fledged  youngster  was  able  to 
take  care  of  itself,  but  we  never  knew  a 
case  of  this  which  we  could  not  straighten 
out  simply  by  recommending  the  breeder 
to  keep  his  young  birds  longer  in  the  breeding 
pen. 

NEED  OF  HEALTH  GRIT.  It  has  been 
our  experience  in  dealing  not  only  with 
many  thousands  of  beginners  in  the  squab 
business,  but  also  with  a  great  many  breeders 
of  considerable  experience,  that  comparatively 
few  have  a  proper  appreciation  of  the  value 
of  grit.  Pigeons  have  no  teeth  and  must 
have  grit  to  take  the  place  of  teeth,  otherwise 
they  cannot  prepare  their  food  for  their 
stomachs  properly,  and  will  not  do  well. 
We  have  had  customers  take  the  most 
extraordinary  care  with  regard  to  the  grain, 
but  supply  absolutely  no  grit,  and  then  they 
complained  because  their  birds  were  not 
breeding  properly,  and  that  the  squabs 
were  not  plump. 

Grit  is  not  oyster  shell,  nor  is  oyster  shell 
,frit.  You  must  have  both.  The  grit  is 
deeded,  as  stated,  to  grind  the  grain,'  while 
the  oyster  shell  is  needed  to  supply  the 
constituents  out  of  which  the  female  pigeon 
forms  the  egg. 

The  yard  of  the  flying  pen  must  be  gravelled 
not  grassed,  and  out  of  this  gravel  the  birds 
get  considerable  grit.  If  you  watch  them, 
you  will  see  them  pecking  at  this  gravel  in 
the  flying  pen  constantly.  Beach  sand,  or 
sand  of  any  kind,  may  be  used  in  the  flying 
pen  instead  of  gravel.  The  flying-pen  yard 
should  be  renewed  with  fresh  sand  or  gravel 
every  six  weeks,  for  although  it  may  look 
the  same  to  you.  you  must  remember  that  it 
does  not  look  the  same  to  the  birds,  for  they 
have  been  going  over  it  constantly  picking 
out  the  particles  which  they  liked.  In  the 
winter  time  when  the  flying  pen  may  be 
covered  with  snow,  it  is  well  to  keep  a  pro- 
tected box  filled  with  gravel  or  sand  in  the 
squab-house.  By  a  protected  box,  we  mean 
a  box"  which  the  birds  cannot  foul,  but  which 
allows  the  grit  to  fall  down  as  fast  as  eaten. 

In  a  protected  box  in  the  squab-house 
there  should  also  be  fed  the  Health  Grit 
which  we  sell.  We  have  used  all  kinds  of 
grits,  and  the  grit  we  are  now  using  and 
selling  to  the  exclusion  of  everything  else, 
is  the  only  grit  which  pigeons  will  eat  greedily 
(thus  showing  that  it  is  good  for  them). 
It  contains  salt,  and  no  salt  need  be  provided 
in  lump  form  if  this  grit  is  supplied.  The 
grits  commonly  manufactured  and  sold  for 
poultry,  made  out  of  granite,  etc.,  are  useless 
for  pigeons,  and  it  is  a  waste  of  money  to 
buy  them,  for  common  gravel  or  sand  would 
be  fully  as  good,  and  cost  nothing. 

A  flock  of  pigeons  under  any  conditions 
and  in  any  part  of  the  country  will  do  better 
when  our  Health  Grit  is  fed.  The  squabs 
will  be  ready  for  market  a  few  days  earlier,  they 
will  be  plumper,  and  both  they  and  the  old 


birds  will  be  in  rugged  health,  and  will  keep 
so.  We  keep  this  grit  before  our  own  pigeons 
constantly,  and  consume  and  sell  more  tons 
of  it  every  year  than  of  any  grit  in  the 
market.  It  is  used  by  practically  every 
large  squab  breeder  of  our  acquaintance. 
We  recommend  it  in  the  highest  terms, 
knowing  in  our  own  experience  that  it  pays 
for  itself  many  times  over. 

We  charge  two  dollars  per  100  pounds 
for  this  grit.  We  do  not  sell  less  than  fifty 
pounds.  Price  of  fifty  "pounds,  one  dollar. 
We  ship  it  in  bags  and  it  goes  at  a  low  freight 
rate.  A  hundred-pound  bag  will  last  a  small 
flock  for  months.  It  is  as  good  for  hens  as  for 
pigeons.  This  grit  should  be  kept  in  and 
fed  from  a  wood  box.  Do  not  put  it  in  a 
tin  or  galvanized  iron  box. 

OYSTER  SHELL.  A  great  deal  of  oyster 
shell  on  the  market  is  unfit  for  pigeons,-  not 
being  ground  fine  enough.  It  is  quite  . 
difficult  in  some  sections  of  the  West  and 
South  to  get  oyster  shell,  which  has  to  be 
transported  from  the  seaboard.  The  oyster 
shell  which  we  supply  our  trade  is  put  up 
in  one-hundred-pound  bags.  Price  75  cents 
per  100  pounds.  No  order  filled  for  less 
than  fifty  pounds;  price  of  fifty  pounds, 
forty  cents.  It  is  ground  fine  and  is  just 
right  for  pigeons.  It  should  be  fed  to  the 
birds  from  a  protected  box  in  the  squab- 
house. 

INSECT  SPRAYER.  Pigeons  have  a 
long  feather  louse  which  is  not  harmful. 
The  mite  which  causes  the  only  trouble  is 
small,  about  the  size  of  a  pin-head,  called 
the  red  mite,  because  after  it  has  sucked 
the  blood  of  the  pigeon  it  is  colored  red. 
We  have  gone  a  whole  season  without  seeing 
any  of  these  mites  in  our  breeding  houses. 
If  lice  of  this  kind,  or  any  kind,  are  discovered, 
the  insect  sprayer  which  we  illustrate  here 
will  be  found  useful.  The  barrel  is  filled 
with  kerosene  (or  water  in  which  squab-fe-nol 
has  been  poured)  and  a  fine  spray  driven 
against  the  nest-boxes  and  nest-bowls,  or 
even  against  the  birds. 

These  insect  sprayers  are  well  made  of 
heavy  tin.  We  sell  them  for  fifty  cents 


each.  They  cannot  be  mailed,  but  should 
be  sent  by  express,  or  with  other  goods 
by  freight. 

Birds  which  are  lousy  may  be  dusted 
under  the  feathers,  next  the  skin,  with  any 
good  lice  powder,  or  with  tobacco  dust. 
The  best  time  for  such  treatment  is  at  night, 
when  the  birds  may  be  readily  caught  and 


SUPPLEMENT 


117 


handled.  It  is  also  a  good  idea  to  throw  a 
pinch  of  tobacco  dust  in  the  nest,  on  and 
around  the  squabs,  about  once  a  month  during 
the  summer. 

Lice  are  the  terror  of  chicken  raisers,  but 
we  never  knew  a  squab  raiser,  if  intelligent,  to 
be  troubled  very  much  or  very  long  with  lice. 

Once  free  of  lice,  the  birds  almost  in- 
variably keep  themselves  clean.  It  is  only 
the  loft  where  cleaning  is  badly  neglected 
which  is  troubled  with  lice. 

There  is  a  light-colored  grub  which  some- 
times forms  in  the  manure  on  the  bottom 
of  the  nest-box,  but  no  trouble  conies  from 
it  and  it  does  not  get  on  the  bird. 

RED  AND  WHITE  WHEAT.  It  is  im- 
possible for  us  to  tell  what  is  the  difference 
between  red  and  white  wheat.  We  do  not 
know  the  chemical  constituents  which  color 
one  kernel  red  and  another  variety  white. 
This  question  is  asked  us  by  inquirers  who 
have  never  heard  of  red  wheat,  yet  it  is  a 
common  and  staple  variety  of  wheat  quoted 
daily  in  the  Chicago  and  other  grain  markets. 
If  you  cannot  get  red  wheat  where  you  live, 
feed  white  wheat,  which  is  fed  regularly  by 
nine-tenths  of  our  customers.  As  we  say 
in  the  Manual,  we  feed  red  wheat  instead 
of  white  wheat  because  it  is  not  so  much 
of  a  laxative.  When  we  cannot  get  red 
wheat,  which  happens  at  some  periods  of 
some  years,  we  feed  white  wheat. 

The  effect  of  wheat  is  to  keep  the  bowels 
of  the  birds  open  and  regular.  There  is 
not  much  fattening  substance  in  wheat. 
That  function  is  performed  by  corn. 

Birds  fed  on  wheat  and  nothing  else  get 
so  weak  that  they  do  no  breeding.  We 
have  found  this  out  by  the  experience  of 
customers.  Now  and  then  a  customer  buys 
birds  without  thinking  that  they  must  eat 
to  live.  After  he  has  got  them  he  suddenly 
recalls  that  they  must  be  fed  and  starts  out 
to  find  something.  We  recall  vividly  one 
Kansas  customer  of  this  kind  who  was  induced 
by  some  grain  man  to  buy  a  lot  of  wheat 
and  nothing  else.  After  feeding  his  birds 
nothing  but  wheat  for  two  weeks,  he  wrote 
us  that  they  were  dumpy  and  showing  no 
inclination  to  build  nests.  "They  are  all 
the  time  on  the  floor,"  he  wrote,  "and  cannot 
fly."  He  had  made  them  so  weak  by  feeding 
the  wheat  that  they  could  not  fly  to  their 
nest-boxes,  to  say  nothing  of  building  nests. 

USE  OF  LEG  BAND  OUTFIT.  The 

aluminum  which  we  sell  with  our  leg  band 
outfit  is  seamless  tubing  and  by  the  use  of 
the  outfit  you  produce  a  band  which  is 
seamless  and  which  can  be  applied  only 
to  a  squab,  because,  of  course,  the  feet  of  an 
old  pigeon  are  too  large  to  be  squeezed  through 
the  band  as  a  squab's  can  be  squeezed.  To 
make  an  open  band  (which  can  be  applied 
to  the  leg  of  a  full-grown  pigeon)  out  of  the 
closed  band,  you  simply  make  a  saw-cut 
lengthwise  the  band,  then  open  the  band 


with  your  fingers,  put  it  around  the  leg  of 
the  pigeon,  then  close  the  band  again.  If 
any  one  has  old  pigeons  which  he  wishes  to 
band,  he  will  find  this  band  outfit  quite  as 
serviceable  as  if  used  only  for  banding  squabs. 
We  have  sold  thousands  of  these  band  out- 
fits, and  customers  like  them  first-rate. 
We  can  furnish  open  bands  (to  be  applied 
to  the  legs  of  full-grown  pigeons)  made  of 
aluminum,  V-shaped  joint,  each  band 
numbered,  a  first-class  band  in  every  way, 
for  two  cents  each,  or  two  dollars  for  one 
hundred,  postage  paid. 

MANAGEMENT    OF    BATH    PANS.     The 

sixteen-inch  bath  pan  which  we  recommend 
and  sell  is  better  than  a  larger  size,  no  matter 
what  the  capacity  of  your  plant.  It  is 
easier  emptied  of  water,  there  is  less  strain 
on  the  arms,  and  it  is  kept  clean  easier. 

There  should  be  one  bath  pan  for  every 
twelve  pairs  of  birds.  If  you  have  about 
48  pairs  of  birds  in  each  unit,  you  should 
have  four  bath  pans  in  that  unit,  outside 
in  the  flying  pen.  You  can  get  along  very 
well  with  one  drinking  fountain  to  a  unit 
with  that  number  of  birds,  or  a  less  number 
of  birds,  but  if  you  do  not  have  bath  pans 
enough  the  bathing  water  will  get  dirtier 
than  it  should  and  the  birds  should  not  be 
given  an  opportunity  to  drink  this  dirty 
water. 

In  the  winter,  when  the  birds  are  shut 
up  in  the  squab-house  frequently  for  days 
at  a  time,  it  is  not  necessary  to  bathe  them 
every  day.  Bathe  them  once  each  week, 
taking  the  bath  pans  into  the  squab-house 
and  letting  the  pans .  stand  .  before  them  for 
about  an  hour.  If  you  let  the  water  s^anH 
in  the  bath  pans  in  the  squab-house  in  t'  -j 
winter  time  all  day,  they  will  splash  '..A 
much  out  onto  the  floor,  and  the  house  ••,«. 
get  damp. 

If  your  plant  is  a  small  one,  the  best  wt 
for  you  to  manage  is  this:  At  evenir^ 
(sunset,  sometimes  before)  your  birds  will 
all  leave  the  flying  pen  for  their  nests  and 
perches  inside.  Then  fill  the  bath  pans  with 
water.  When  the  following  day  dawns,  and 
before  you  are  up,  the  pigeons  will  fly  out  and 
take  a  bath.  When  you  get  up,  go  to  your 
pigeons  and  empty  the  bath  pans,  turning 
them  bottom  side  up  and  leaving  them  that 
way  all  day. 

The  price  of  these  sixteen-inch  bath  pans 
is  forty  cents,  crated  ready  for  shipment. 

KILLING  WITH  A  KNIFE.  Some  dealers 
in  squabs  wish  them  to  be  killed  with  a  knife 
as  this  gets  out  the  blood  and  makes  the 
flesh  somewhat  whiter.  Find  out  whether 
or  not  the  man  to  whom  you  are  going  to 
sell  the  squabs  wants  them  bled.  The  way 
to  kill  them  with  a  knife  is  t9  insert  the 
knife  inside  the  bill  and  cut  the  jugular  vein. 
Then  hang  up  the  squab  bill  downward  and 
let  the  blood  drain  out.  By  using  the  knife 
on  the  inside  of  the  throat  you  do  not  make 


118          NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


a  wound  which  is  visible  to  the  eye  of  the 
consumer.  Use  a  knife  with  a  long,  narrow, 
sharp  blade.  We  sell  them  for  forty-five 
cents  each,  postage  paid. 

CONCERNING     NEST     BOXES.        Many 

customers  who  do  not  use  egg-crates  or 
orange  boxes,  but  build  their  nest-boxes  of 
half-inch  or  five-eighths  lumber,  have  written 
us  that  they  have  used  the  construction 
which  we  illustrate  herewith  and  which  is 
good,  because  cleaning  can  be  better  done. 

The  bottoms  of  the  nest-boxes  are  re- 
movable and  rest  on  cleats,  as  the  picture 
shows.  The  cleats  are  seven-eighths  or  one 
inch  square  and  are  nailed  to  the  uprights. 

When  this  construction  is  employed,  it  is 
not  necessary  that  you  have  a  block  or 
base  screwed  to  our  nappy  or  nest-bowl. 
The  nappy  or  nest-bowl  may  be  screwed 
directly  onto  this  removable  nest-box  bottom. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  nail  a  strip  of  wood 
across  the  fronts  of  the  nest-boxes,  to  prevent 
the  squabs  from  falling  out. 

The  squabs  stay  in  the  nest  until  they 
are  ready  to  leave  it,  and  it  is  very  rare  to 
find  one  on  the  floor.  It  will  be  noticed 
that  in  the  cities,  the  street  pigeons'  nests 
in  many  cases  will  be  found  on  the  open 
cornices  of  high  buildings,  and  if  squabs 


stay  in  such  nests  until  they  are  able  to 
fly,  the  beginner  with  squabs  ought  not  to 
be  worried  about  his  birds'  nests  which  are 
only  a  few  feet  from  the  floor. 

SQUABS  IN  CHICAGO.  The  following 
article  is  taken  from  the  Chicago  American : 
Squab  Farming  is  a  new  Chicago  Industry. 

Little  Capital  is  Required  and  Persons  of  good 

Judgment    and    Care    can    Realize    Good 

Profits  from  Pigeon  Culture. 

If  all  the  birds  in  all  the  pies  were  suddenly 
to  lift  their  voices  in  song  like  those  in  the 
nursery  rhyme,  the  chorus  would  be  loud 
and  long,  for  raising  of  squabs  for  food  is  a 
constantly  growing _  and  lucrative  industry, 
4nd  withal  very  fascinating. 


A  number  of  farms,  each  sheltering  several 
hundred  birds,  are  being  conducted  within 
easy  reach  of  the  Chicago  market. 

Such  clubs  as  the  Union  League  and 
Athletic  are  always  ready  buyers.  Plump 
birds  are  readily  sold  for  a  dollar  apiece  for 
breeding  purposes,  and  their  squabs  at  $4 
a  dozen  for  food.  As  in  any  field  of  labor, 
the  best  results  come  from  studied  and 
carefully  planned  effort.  Utmost  cleanliness 
in  food  and  in  the  little  compartments  to 
which  each  bird  comes  with  unerring  instinct 
to  nest  enters  largely  into  success. 

Eggs  of  clear  black  or  white  birds  are 
difficult  to  hatch  because  the  birds  of  those 
colors  are  very  restless  and  nervous,  not 
caring  for  their  eggs;  sometimes  only  one  in 
a  dozen  being  matured. 

In  four  weeks  the  young  bird  is  ready  for 
the  market.  Many  of  the  squab  farms  are 
side  issues  of  those  employed  at  other  voca- 
tions during  the  day,  and  bid  fair  to  attract 
the  attention  of  those  seeking  quick  returns 
from  a  small  outlay. 

Attention  to  recognized  habits  of  the 
birds,  sanitary  conditions  and  good  breeds 
for  parent  birds  are  all  that  is  necessary  to 
success. 

ACTUAL     TESTS     CONVINCED     THEM. 

In  Appendix  A  in  our  Manual,  we  tell  of 
a  sale  of  our  Homers  which  we  made  in 
February,  1903,  to  a  ship  captain,  who 
intended  to  sail  from  Boston  around  Cape 
Horn  to  the  Pacific  coast,  with  stops,  the 
whole  voyage  to  be  made  in  about  a  year, 
the  pigeons  to  furnish  fresh  squab  meat  for 
the  long  journey.  The  ship  went  to  Florida, 
from  Boston,  thence  to  Rio  de  Janeiro,  Brazil, 
safely,  and  sailed  from  there  October  1,  1903. 
Under  date  of  June  22,  1904,  the  Captain 
wrote  us  as  follows  from  New  York  City: 
"The  birds  proved  all  you  claim  for  them, 
and  even  more.  I  put  them  in  a  small  house 
I  built,  four  by  eight,  and  four  by  four  flying 
pen,  on  March  7, 1903.  (This  was  on  the  deck 

§f  the  ship.)  They  all  hatched  before  April 
,  and  up  to  June  5,  1904,  every  bird  had 
hatched  twelve  times,  and  one  pair  thirteen 
times.  I  saved  one  pair  of  the  first  hatches, 
that  were  born  about  April  6,  and  in  October 
they  hatched  their  first  pair,  and  up  to  June 
5  had  six  hatchings,  which  I  think  was  pretty 
good.  I  am  satisfied  that  if  the  birds  are 
taken  care  of  there  is  big  money  in  them, 
and  just  as  soon  as  I  can  get  a  location  in 
New  Jersey,  near  New  York  City,  I  will  send 
to  you  for  two  or  three  hundred  pairs.  I  have 
an  option  on  a  place  now  and  will  know 
tomorrow.  I  am  pretty  sure  I  shall  get  it 


and  by  next  Monday  I  am  in  hopes  to  begin 

fy  houses.     As  soon  as  I  get  them  ready, 
will  send  you  a  draft  for  what  birds  I  want. 


As  my  houses  are  built  I  will  order  and  fill 
them  and  I  hope  you  will  try  and  give  me  a 
good  lot  of  birds.  I  shall  build  for  one 
thousand  pairs  this  summer  and  increase 
next  year  if  the  birds  are  as  good  as  those 


SUPPLEMENT 


119 


you  gave  me.  In  two  weeks  you  may  expect 
to  get  an  order  for  two  hundred  pairs,  so  you 
can  begin  to  get  them  paired  off.  Any  sug- 
gestion you  can  give  me  about  the  houses  will 
be  very  acceptable,  as  I  am  going  to  begin 
to  build  at  once." 

Since  the  above  was  written,  he  has  built 
his  first  house  and  we  have  shipped  him 
the  first  large  lot  of  birds.  His  experience 
is  certainly  convincing.  Any  one  who  has 
doubts  can  start  with  a  small  purchase  of 
birds  and  find  out  the  facts  for  himself,  just 
as  this  customer  did. 

We  are  continually  filling  large  orders  for 
customers  who  started  with  a  small  purchase 
and  did  well.  Why  don't  you  start  with 
two  dozen  or  so  pairs  and  have  the  experience 
of  this  Michigan  customer  whose  order  we 
received  this  summer:  "A  short  time  ago 
I  received  twenty-five  pairs  of  your  Homers. 
They  are  all  doing  finely,  every  bird  being 
lively  and  full  of  vim.  They  are  almost  all 
at  work  now,  nest-building,  and  I  am  more 
than  satisfied  with  results  thus  far  obtained. 
I  am  about  to  build  two  houses,  each  house 
to  accommodate  two  hundred  and  fifty 
pairs,  divided  into  five  flocks  of  fifty  pairs. 
Enclosed  find  New  York  draft  to  pay  for 
four  hundred  and  fifty  pairs  Extra  Homers." 

Under  date  of  July  1,  1904,  a  customer 
writes  us  from  an  Ohio  town:  "The  Homers 
I  purchased  of  you  two  years  ago  this  month 
have  been  doing  very  well,  in  short,  their 
increase  has  been  marvelous,  averaging  nine 
and  one-half  (9>i)  pairs  per  year  for  the 
two  years  I  have  had  them.  I  now  have 
quite  a  flock,  bred  exclusively  from  the 
three  pairs  of  mated  birds  purchased  from 
you,  but  think  it  is  about  time  to  get  some 
new  blood  in  the  flock ;  therefore  will  you 
kindly  quote  me  your  prices  for  birds  from 
one  to  three  or  four  months  old,  equal  parts 
cocks  and  hens,  so  that  I  may  turn  them 
in  with  my  young  birds  to  prevent  as  much 
inbreeding  as  possible  in  that  way.  I  want 
to  say  that  I  at  first  had  some  doubts  as  to  the 
profits  of  the  business,  but  must  confess  that 
they  are  even  more  than  you  have  ever 
claimed." 

Some  of  our  most  successful  customers  are 
women.  One  writes  us  this  summer  as 
follows:  "Enclosed  find  post-office  money 
order  for  $7.08,  payment  for  the  following 
order:  three  dozen  wood  nappies,  three  bath 
pans,  four  galvanized  iron  drinkers.  Ship 
by  freight  or  express  as  is  cheaper.  Some- 
thing over  a  year  ago  I  bought  twelve  pairs 
of  pigeons  of  you.  Imperative  duties  have 
prevented  my  giving  them  as  much  attention 
as  I  would  wish,  but  they  have  increased  and 
prospered  with  but  trifling  loss.  There  are 
now  more  than  forty  pairs  nesting,  and 
altogether  a  flock  of  something  over  one 
hundred  and  fifty.  I  have  sold  none,  not 
having  had  time  even  to  sort  them  out  and 
send  them  to  market.  I  hope  soon  to  get 
into  the  lofts  and  put  things  in  first-class 
shape  and  weed  out  all  the  culls.  I 


am   very  well  satisfied  with  my  experiment." 

A  customer  in  New  York  writes:  "There 
have  been  two  pigeon  fanciers  here  this 
week  who  say  they  have  no  such  fine  stock 
as  ours,  nor  have  they  seen  anything  like 
them." 

BOSTON  PRICES.  The  squab  market  is 
improving  every  year,  and  breeders  every- 
where are  getting  better  prices,  even  right 
here  in  Boston,  the  centre  of  the  section 
where  our  business  is  done,  and  where  the 
interest  in  squabs  is  very  great.  The  follow- 
ing quotations  from  the  Boston  Daily  Globe 
cover  a  period  of  over  five  years,  and,  as  will 
be  seen,  prices  are  firmly  maintained.  New 
York  prices  are  better  than  these : 

March  28,  1903 $4.00  and  $5.00  a  dozen 

Apr.  25,  1903 3.50  and    4.00  a  dozen 

May  23,  1903 4.00  and    4.50  a  dozen 

June  27,  1903 3.50  and    4.00  a  dozen 

July  11,  1903 3.50  a  dozen 

Aug.  22,  1903 3.00  and    4.00  a  dozen 

Sept.  19,  1903 3.50  and    4.00  a  dozen 

Oct.  24,  1903 4.00  and    4.50  a  dozen 

Nov.  14,  1903 ...   3.50  and    4.00  a  dozen 

Dec.  5,  1903 4.50  and    5.00  a  dozen 

^n.  30,   1904 5.00  and    6.00  a  dozen 
b.  20,  1904 4.50  a  dozen 

Mar.  12,  1904 5.00  and    5.50  a  dozen 

Apr.  30,  1904 4.00  and    4.50  a  dozen 

May  28,  1904 3.00  and    4.00  a  dozen 

June  11,  1904 3.00  and    4.00  a  dozen 

July  23,  1904 3.50  and    4.00  a  dozen 

Aug.  13,  1904 3.50  and    4.00  a  dozen 

Aug20,  1904 3.50  and    4.00  a  dozen 

Sept.  10,  1904 3.50  and    4.00  a  dozen 

Oct.  8, 1904 3.00  and    4.00  a  dozen 

Nov.  5,  1904 3.00,  3.50  and    4.00  a  dozen 

Dec.  31,  1904 4.50  and    5.00  a  dozen 

Jan.  7,  1905 4.50  and    5.00  a  dozen 

Mar.  25,  1905 4.50  and    5.00  a  dozen 

Apr.  1,  1905 4.00  and    4.50  a  dozen 

May  27,  1905 3.50  and    4.00  a  dozen 

June  3,  1905 3.50  and    4.00  a  dozen 

July  8,  1905 3.00  and    3.50  a  dozen 

Aug.  12,  1905 4.50  a  dozen 

Sept.  23,  1905 3.00  and  3.50  a  dozen 

Oct.  21,  1905 3.00  and  4.00  a  dozen 

Dec.  16,  1905 3.00  and  4.00  a  dozen 

Jan.  20,  1906 4.00  a  dozen 

Mar.  31,  1906 4.25  and  4.75  a  dozen 

Apr.  7,  1906 4.00  and  5.00  a  dozen 

May  26,  1906 3.50  a  dozen 

June  16,  1906 3.50  and  4.00  a  dozen 

July  28,  1906 3.50  a  dozen 

Aug.  22,  1906 3.50  a  dozen 

Oct.  20,  1906 3.50  a  dozen 

Jan.  5,  1907 5.00  a  dozen 

Jan.  19,  1907 3.50  and  5.00  a  dozen 

Mar.  9,  1907 3.00  and  3.50  a  dozen 

Mar.  23,  1907 3.50  and  5.00  a  dozen 

Apr.  6,  1907 4.00  and  5.00  a  dozen 

June  29,  1907 3.00  and  3.50  a  dozen 

Sept.  28,  1907 4.00  a  dozen 

Nov.  23,  1907 3.00  and  4.50  a  dozen 

Dec.  14,  1907 3.00  and  4.00  a  dozen 

Jan.  18,  1908 5.00  a  dozen 


120 


NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


Jan.  25,  1908 $4.00  and  $5.00  a  dozen 

Feb.  8,  1908 4.00  and  5.00  a  dozen 

Mar.  2,  1908 3.50  and  5.00  a  dozen 

Mar.  21,  1908 3.00  and  4.00  a  dozen 

Apr.  1 1 .  1908 4.00  and  4.50  a  dozen 

May  9,  1908 3.00  and  4.00  a  dozen 

Tune  6.  1908 3.00  and  3.50  a  dozen 

July  3,  1908 3.00  and  4.00  a  dozen 

July  18,  1908 3.50  and  4.00  a  dozen 

(This  edition  of  this  Manual  went  to  press 
in  August,  1908.  If  you  write  us  in  1909  or 
later  for  Boston  quotations  we  will  give  them 
to  you  by  letter.) 

Sometimes  different  newspapers  published 
in  the  same  city  will  give  varying  quotations 
for  squabs,  as  it  depends  largely  on  the 
reporter  who  writes  them.  For  example, 
in  the  Boston  Globe  for  Feb.  8,  1908,  squabs 
were  quoted  at  $4  and  $5  a  dozen.  In  the 
Boston  Herald  of  that  same  day  is  the  follow- 
ing quotation:  "Squabs  are  high  at  $5  and 
$6  a  dozen."  On  March  14,  1908,  the  Boston 
Globe  quoted  squabs  at  $3.50  and  $4  a 
dozen,  while  the  Boston  Herald  quoted  them 
at  $5  and  $6  a  dozen. 

In  every  large  city  are  published  trade 
bulletins  known  as  "Price  Current,'  "Boston 
Prices,"  "Market  Bulletin,"  "Smith  &  Jones 
Price  Current,"  etc.  In  some  large  cities 
one  printer"  will  furnish  a  great  many  middle- 
men with  the  same  printed  sheet,  putting 
at  the  head  of  each  the  name  of  a  dealer  or 
firm.  The  prices  given  in  these  trade  sheets 
are  never  the  true  prices,  but  are  what  these 
middlemen  would  like  to  pay  to  get  the  farm 
products  quoted.  This  is  quite  an  important 
subject  to  farm  people  but  we  do  not  remem- 
ber ever  having  seen  the  attention  of  poultry 
and  produce  raisers  called  to  this  matter 
before.  For  example,  these  price  current 
sheets  in  New  York  will  quote  squabs  at 
$2.50  a  dozen  when  the  leading  squab  buyers 
in  that  city,  such  as  Messrs.  Silz,  McLaughlin, 
and  Knapp  &  Van  Nostrand  are  paying 
from  $4  to  $6  a  dozen  to  squab  breeders  and 
reselling  to  their  New  York  retail  trade  at 
$5  to  $8  a  dozen.  These  trade  sheets  and 
the  trade  columns  in  the  daily  newspapers 
(which  are  supplied  with  quotations  by  the 
dealers)  not  only  quote  squabs  at  prices 
which  they  would  like  to  pay,  but  poultry 
and  everything  in  the  nature  of  farm  produce. 
Their  object,  of  course,  is  to  get  farm  produce 
as  cheap  as  they  can.  If  a  producer  objects 
to  the  small  price  they  offer  him,  they  will 
send  him  their  printed  price  quotation  sheet 
and  write,  "You  will  find  the  market  prices 
enclosed."  The  producer  not  only  of  squabs 
but  of  all  kinds  of  farm  produce  should  inform 
himself  of  the  true  market  and  the  only  way 
to  do  so  is  to  go  into  that  market  by  letter, 
telephone  or  in  person  and  offer  to  BUY, 
not  to  sell.  When  you  have  found  out,  for 
example,  that  the  dealer  wants  $6  a  dozen 
for  squabs  which  he  has  for  sale,  you  can  go 
to  that  man  with  your  squabs  and  get  $4  a 
dozen.  Don't  let  him  take  more  than  his 
fair  share  of  the  profits.  Some  of  the  poultry 


and  produce  buyers  are  not  reliable.  The 
Rural  New  Yorker  is  a  farm  paper  which 
keeps  its  readers  posted  on  unreliable  and 
irresponsible  middlemen  in  New  York  State. 
Assure  yourself  that  the  man  or  firm  which 
is  going  to  buy  your  squabs  is  not  only 
prepared  to  pay  you  good  prices  but  is  able 
to  give  you  cash  returns  promptly. 

The  best  way  to  sell  squabs  is  direct  to  the 
private  trade  at  about  double  what  the 
middlemen  pay.  A  customer  of  ours  in 
Illinois  who  is  a  printer  gets  at  the  private 
trade  by  the  use  of  a  handsome  circular 
giving  photographs  of  squabs  and  telling 
what  they  are,  prices,  etc.  He  circularizes 
the  rich  residents  and  also  sends  out  the 
circular  in  reply  to  newspaper  advertise- 
ments. His  plan  works  well  and  gets  him 
the  top  prices.  We  have  told  many  of  our 
customers  of  the  plan  and  we  tell  it  again 
here  so  that  you  may  get  up  such  a  circular 
if  you  wish  and  go  after  the  private  trade. 

It  will  be  noticed,  in  the  above  table  of 
prices,  that  although  the  supply  of  squabs 
has  greatly  increased  during  the  past  five 
years,  the  demand  for  squabs  created  by 
our  advertising  has  more  than  kept  pace 
with  it.  Prices  at  this  writing  (1908)  are  as 
high  or  higher  than  we  have  ever  known 
them. 

BUSINESS  MANAGEMENT.  Not  a  few 
breeders  raise  squabs  by  the  hundred  and 
are  successful  in  every  detail  of  the  manage- 
ment of  their  plant  except  selling  the  product. 
Some  beginners  seem  to  think  they  will  be 
perfectly  helpless  without  the  co-operation 
of  some  dealer. 

It  is  a  shame  to  raise  fine  squabs  and 
then  sell  them  to  some  commission  man  or 
other  dealer  who  immediately  resells  them, 
in  most  cases  for  double  what  he  pays  you  for 
them.  It  is  the  steady  practice  of  the  dealers 
in  Chicago,  for  instance,  to  pay  from  $2  to 
$3  per  dozen  and  resell  them  for  $3  to  $6  per 
dozen.  If  you  don't  believe  this  is  true, 
drop  your  role  of  a  squab  seller  and  go  into 
these  markets  to  buy  and  you  will  see  how 
much  profit  is  being  made  off  your  goods. 

The  squab  dealers  and  commission  men 
do  not  advertise  for  customers.  The  squabs 
are  just  as  salable  in  your  hands  as  in  theirs. 
Many  people  would  prefer  to  buy  of  the 
producer,  being  surer  of  a  fresher  and  more 
satisfactory  product. 

If  you  are  producing  squabs,  by  all  means 
sell  them  to  the  consumer  and  get  the  price 
which  the  middleman  is  getting.  It  is 
essential,  however,  if  you  are  going  to  do  this, 
that  you  make  it  known  in  some  way  that 
you  have  good  squabs  to  sell.  Think  of  the 
rich  people,  the  well-to-do  people,  the  good 
diners  around  you  or  nearest  you,  and  figure 
out  for  yourself  a  way  of  getting  to  them 
the  information  that  you  are  selling  something 
which  they  want  and  will  buy  steadilv. 
Perhaps  a  neatly  printed  circular  sent  by 
mail  will  do  it.  Or  an  advertisement  in  the 


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121 


newspaper  in  your  territory  which  will 
produce  results.  Or  you  might  pick  out  two 
or  three  likely  families  and  make  them  a 
present  of  a  squab  or  two  to  get  them  started. 

The  products  of  the  plants  of  hundreds 
of  our  small  customers  are  spoken  for  ahead 
of  capacity  all  the  time  by  a  neighborhood 
trade,  and  this  is  what  you  should  aim  at. 
This  is  the  way  the  finest  butter  and  eggs 
and  poultry  are  sold,  and  also  squabs,  and 
the  plants  of  our  customers  who  are  selling 
squabs  direct  to  the  consumer  are  paying 
better  than  the  plants  of  other  customers 
whose  product  is  marketed  with  poor  judg- 
ment. 

Don't  be  too  fast  to  sell  to  a  hotel.  Some 
farmers  and  breeders  get  the  idea  that  if  only 
they  can  find  a  hotel  to  take  all  their  goods, 
their  fortune  is  made.  In  every  city  there 
are  one  or  more  first-class  hotels  which  want 
the  best  of  everything  and  pay  accordingly. 
On  the  other  hand,  there  are  many  hotels 
which  do  not  care  for  the  best.  For  example, 
few  hotels  care  for  the  best  ducks,  because 
a  single  dinner  order  is  half  a  duck,  and  half 
of  the  bi?,  first-class,  expensive  ducks  is  more 
than  a  diner  wants,  so  the  hotel  keeper  of 
course  prevents  waste  by  buying  a  small 
duck.  Same  with  squabs.  The  hotel  buyers 
are  sharp  bargainers,  and  if  they  think  that 
their  trade  will  be  satisfied  with  a  seven  or 


eight-pound  squab,  they  will  take  such  a 
bird  rather  than  pay  more  for  a  ten  or  twelve- 
pound  squab.  The  average  squab  breeder, 


like  the  average  farmer  and  gardener, 
content  to  sell  to  the  middleman,  and  if  you 
make  the  acquaintance  of  a  good  one,  of 
course  you  avoid  some  bother,  yet  it  has  been 
our  experience  that  it  is  just  as  easy  to  sell 
squabs  to  the  consumer  as  to  anybody  else, 
in  fact,  after  vou  have  started  with  him 
he  will  come  after  you  and  pay  you  a  great 
deal  more  than  anybody  else,  still  he  is 
paying  just  what  he  always  has  paid,  and  he 
is  better  satisfied.  Squabs  are  phenomenal 
sellers  and  it  is  well  to  take  advantage  of 
this  condition,  which  is  not  always  true  of 
poultry. 

MR.  McGREW  CALLS.  The  following  is 
from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Tv  F.  McGrew,  associate 
editor  of  the  Feather,  poultry  editor  of  the 
Country  Gentleman,  also  a  widely  quoted 
writer  for  the  government's  bureau  of  animal 
industry,  and  a  lecturer  for  the  New  York 
State  Board  of  Agriculture.  He  is  one  of  the 
best  known  judges  of  poultry  and  pigeons  in 
the  United  States.  The  visit  to  our  farm  of 
which  he  speaks  was  made  in  November, 
1903;  since  then  our  stock  of  Homers  has 
been  increased. 

"It  was  our  pleasure  within  the  last  two 
weeks  to  visit  the  home  plant  of  the  Plymouth 
Rock  Squab  Co.,  at  Melrose,  Mass.  We  were 
beautifully  entertained  by  Mr.  Elmer  C.  Rice 
and  his  family.  The  buildings  at  the  home 
plant  are  by  far  the  best  that  we  have  ever 
seen  for  squab  growing.  Each  building  is 


constructed  for  the  best  possible  light,  air, 
and  sanitary  conditions.  Those  who  may 
be  interested  in  squab  growing  will  find  it  to 
their  profit  to  communicate  with  Mr.  Rice 
at  Boston  for  the  printed  matter  which  gives 
a  full  description  of  his  plant  and  methods 
of  doing  business. 

"We  saw  at  this  plant  12,000  full-grown, 
well-matured  Homing  Pigeons  ready  for  dis- 
tribution for  growing  squabs.  In  all  our 
experience  we  have  never  seen  a  better  lot 
than  these.  They  are  large,  vigorous,  full- 
breasted,  broad-shouldered  specimens  such 
as  one  would  select  for  producing  squabs  of 
the  best  character.  There  are  Blues,  Blue 
Checks,  Silvers,  Reds,  and  mixed  colors  such 
as  would  naturally  be  produced  through  the 
cross  mating  of  any  of  these  varieties.  While 
we  were  there  Mr.  Rice  shipped  from  the 
plant  between  five  and  six  hundred  birds, 
all  of  which  are  sent  out  in  large  roomy 
baskets,  the  baskets  returnable  at  the  shipper's 
expense.  So  far  as  we  can  calculate,  we  are  un- 
der the  impression  that  Mr.  Rice  is  doing  a 
very  large  business.  In  addition  to  this  we' 
carefully  perused  a  number  of  letters  received 
by  Mr.  Rice  from  localities  as  far  west  as  San 
Francisco,  as  far  south  as  Florida,  all  of 
these  communications  speaking  in  the  highest 
terms  of  the  shipments  made  to  them  by  Mr. 
Rice." 

RUNTS  NOT  DESIRABLE.  From  the 
Farm  Journal — "Our  remarks  in  the  October 
issue  respecting  the  relative  merits  of  large 
and  small  birds  were  put  in  a  way  to  be 
easily  misunderstood. 

"By  large  birds  we  meant  Runts  and  that 
class,  usually  found  only  in  the  hands  of 
fanciers  and  experts  in  pigeon  breeding. 
They  are  not  at  all  desirable  for  squab 
breeding. 

"Common  pigeons  are  not  hardy  and 
prolific  in  proportion  to  their  smallness.  The 
largest  of  these  should  be  selected  for  breeding 
always. 

"There  is  a  great  difference  in  the  size  and 
quality  of  what  are  called  common  birds. 
Where  they  are  chosen  as  the  basis  of  a  squab 
breeder's  business  a  careful  selection  should 
be  made. 

"Of  all  the  pure-bred  types,  we  know  of 
nothing  superior  of  equal  to  the  Homers  for 
breeding  squabs.  They  are  hardy  and 
prolific  and  rear  large,  meaty  squabs.  There 
is  also  room  for  selection  in  Homers,  some 
being  much  larger  than  others. 

"When  a  breeder  already  has  a  flock  of 
common  pigeons  he  can  greatly  improve  it 
by  the  infusion  of  Homer  blood." 

USEFUL  MESSENGERS.  We  have  quite 
a  call  for  our  birds  from  physicians  having  a 
country  practice.  They  leave  two  or  three 
birds  at  a  patient's  house  to  be  let  loose  when 
the  doctor's  services  are  needed.  In  cases 
of  expected  confinement  at  a  distance  of 
several  miles  from  the  doctor's  home,  our 


122  NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


birds  are  extremely  useful.  We  earnestly 
advise  country  physicians  with  a  wide  ter- 
ritory to  cover  to  look  into  this  matter 
and  communicate  with  us.  It  will  be  money 
in  their  pockets. 

DEMAND  IN  COLORADO.  We  have  had 
the  same  experience  with  the  Western  trade 
as  the  following  writer  in  the  Western  Poultry 
World,  of  course  excepting  California,  which 
is  one  of  the  best  squab  markets  in  the 
country.  What  he  says  is  conservative  and 
sensible  and  bears  out  what  we  have  always 
maintained,  that  wherever  there  are  men 
and  women  who  are  good  eaters,  there  squabs 
will  be  eaten.  If  you  live  in  a  town  where 
a  squab  never  was  seen,  but  where  there  are 
people  who  set  a  good  table,  to  them  you 
certainly  can  sell  squabs: 

"Having  been  asked  by  your  editor  to 
write  an  article  on  pigeons  or  squab  raising 
and  also  having  said  I  would,  I  commence 
by  stating  a  few  facts  which  1  have  gained 
from  both  practical  experience  and  inquiries 
from  Eastern  breeders.  In  the  first  place, 
I  want  to  say  that  little  is  known  of  this 
industry  in  the  West,  and  in  fact  it  has  not 
been  known  in  the  East  until  about  ten  years 
ago,  when  they  began  to  take  it  up  about 
the  same  as  the  Western  people  are  doing 
now.  Many  got  discouraged  at  finding  it 
was  not  a  get-rich-quick  scheme. 

"I  am  constantly  having  letters  from 
different  parts  of  the  country  asking  me 
if  squab  raising  pays,  and  saying  that  from 
inquiries  they  have  made  at  meat  markets 
and  of  commission  merchants,  they  are  told 
that  there  is  no  demand  for  them.  Of  course 
there  is  not  at  the  present  time,  for  if  there 
was  they  could  not  get  them.  No  man  can 
sell  what  he  has  not  got.  I  once  went  to  a 
gentleman  and  told  him  my  plan  of  starting 
a  squab  farm,  and  he  in  turn  went  to  his 
market  man  and  asked  him  what  he  thought 
of  it,  and  he  said  I  was  either  lazy  or  crazy. 
Now  this  man  knew  absolutely  nothing  of 
squabs,  and  never  had  any  in  his  store,  and, 
consequently,  never  had  any  calls  for  them. 
I  dare  say  that  if  one  were  to  go  to  every 
market  in  the  city  they  would  tell  you  the 
same  thing,  and  nine  out  of  every  ten  people 
would  tell  you  they  had  never  eaten  a  squab 
in  their  lives;  still  I  have  people-^-come 
right  to  my  door — who  come  a  good  distance 
out  of  their  way  and  want  to  buy  squabs  of 
me.  The  reason  hotels  and  restaurants  do 
not  continually  have  them  on  their  bill  of  fare 
is  because  they  cannot  be  supplied  at  all 
times.  Today  thev  can  get  perhaps  a  dozen 
and  tomorrow,  if  they  wish  any,  thev  cannot 
get  them,  and  even  then  they  are  obliged  to 
take  common  squabs  and  not  Homers.  As 
to  the  demand,  I  want  to  say  right  here,  that 
I  know  one  concern  that  will  contract  to  take 
400  dozen  a  week  at  good,  fair  prices.  Two 
parties  that  I  know  of  right  here  in  this  city 
are  constantly  in  receipt  of  letters  from  hotels 
and  clubs  in  Denver  wanting  to  buy  squabs. 


In  the  East,  where  there  are  ten  squab  farms 
to  one  in  the  West,  the  prices  are  higher  than 
here.  It  is  because  of  the  demand." 

ELEGANT  PROFIT.  The  following  is  from 
Vick's  Magazine,  an  article  on  squab  raising 
by  a  practical  breeder : 

"Of  recent  years  the  demand  for  the 
toothsome  squab  has  been  so  great  that  the 
supply  does  not  come  up  to  the  demand. 
Where  years  ago  they  were  used  only  for 
invalids,  now  they  are  on  the  bill  of  fare  in 
almost  all  restaurants  and  hotels.  They 
command  good  prices  at  all  seasons  and  an 
elegant  profit  is  derived  from  them  by  the 
raisers.  It  used  to  be  that  pigeons  could  not 
thrive  when  housed  up,  but  now  the  former 
obstacles  have  been  overcome  and  better 
success  is  made  where  they  are  confined  than 
where  they  have  their  freedom. 

"The  squab  business  if  conducted  properly 
will  bring  in  a  large  percentage  of  profit 
considering  the  first  capital  invested.  Only 
a  few  hundred  dollars  are  required  to  start 
where  such  a  sum  would  be  nothing  to  com- 
mence in  such  a  business  as  stock  keeping, 
etc.,  and  yet  with  a  few  hundred  pairs  of 
pigeons  any  one  with  a  little  judgment  can 
make  a  living  for  himself  and  family.  Many 
farmers'  sons  could  make  nice  yearly  incomes 
by  stocking  a  part  of  their  barn  (not  used 
for  anything  else)  with  pigeons.  The  risks  are 
not  so  great  as  with  chickens,  but  the  birds 
must  be  attended  to  and  not  neglected. 

"With  chickens  one  must  not  only  feed 
the  old,  but  must  also  give  the  little  ones 
their  meals,  but  not  so  with  pigeon  breeding. 
You  feed  the  old  birds,  and  they  feed  then- 
young.  One  person  can  feed  a  thousand 
pairs  of  birds  in  about  a  quarter  hour,  the 
rest  is  left  for  the  old  ones  to  do.  The  little 
birds  are  fed  from  pre-digested  food  from 
the  crops  of  their  parents,  who  by  a  sort  of 
pumping  force  the  food  into  the  squab's 
mouths.  It  takes  no  longer  time  for  a  person 
to  feed  a  lot  of  birds  with  young  than  it  does 
without  young. 

"After  the  squabs  are  four  to  five  weeks  old 
they  are  ready  for  market.  It  costs  but  one 
and  one-half  cents  per  pair  for  feeding  birds 
a  week  and  their  young  also,  so  with  the 
prices  received  for  the  squabs,  which  is  forty 
cents  per  pair  in  summer  to  eighty  cents  per 
pair  in  the  winter,  one  can  imagine  the 
percentage  of  profit. 

"Squabs  of  the  largest  size  demand  the 
highest  ma-ket  prices,  so  it  pays  to  commence 
right  by  buying  only  good  large  stock.  The 
amount  of  labor  required  is  almost  nothing, 
in  fact  unless  very  large  numbers  are  kept, 
one  will  have  only  a  few  hours'  work  daily. 
The  writer  has  nearly  2,000,  and  it  takes  only 
fifteen  minutes  to  feed  and  half  an  hour  to 
give  fresh  water.  Of  course  it  takes  a  dav 
or  two  a  week  for  killing  young  ones,  and  a 
day  or  two  each  month  for  cleaning  buildings, 
then  the  work  is  about  done.  One  person 
can  attend  1,000  pairs  nicely  and  have  ample 


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123 


time  to  do  other  work  around  a  place.  The 
writer  finds  it  a  snap  to  other  occupations  and 
one  is  his  own  boss  and  can  go  or  come  when 
he  pleases.  It  is  the  business  for  a  young 
man;  he  can  advance  as  he  saves  money. 
There  are  some  who  commenced  on  a  few 
dollars  and  by  careful  saving  now  operate 
plants  of  thousands  of  pairs  of  birds. 

"The  larger  the  pigeon,  the  larger  the 
squab,  the  higher  the  price.  The  breeding 
houses  need  not  be  heated  artificially  in 
winter  as  the  birds  can  withstand  any  tem- 
perature and  in  cold  weather  sit  upon  their 
young  until  they  are  feathered  sufficiently 
to  stand  the  cold." 

ENLARGED  HIS  PLANT  WITH  PROFITS. 
Experience  of  a  Breeder  who  Made  it  Pay 
from  the  Beginning.  In  Country  Life,  a 

monthly  mpgazine,  one  of  the  handsomest 
and  highest-toned  publications,  the  experience 
of  a  gentleman  in  squab  raising  gives  the 
following  facts:  "Six  years  ago  I  did  not 
have  a  bird,  but  I  invested  fifty  dollars  in 
purchasing  twenty-five  pairs  of  extra-choice 
Homer  pigeons,  remodelling  a  poultry  house 
for  their  accommodation.  I  had  kept  pigeons 
for  pleasure  for  five  years,  previously,  and 
felt  that  I  knew  a  little  about  them.  In  these 
six  years  I  have  not  invested  another  dollar 
excepting  the  dollars  the  birds  have  earned, 
and  my  present  establishment  of  five  houses 
and  fifteen  hundred  pigeons_,  which  has 
cost  me  two  thousand  dollars,  is  all  paid  for. 
In  addition,  for  the  last  three  years,  I  have 
paid  out  from  five  to  seven  dollars  each  week 
for  the  wages  of  a  helper,  to  dress  the  squabs 
and  clean  the  houses,  for  my  regular  business 
would  not  permit  ;ne  to  attend  to  these  duties 
myself. 

"The  consensus  of  opinion  of  all  experienced 
squab  breeders  stamps  the  Homer  as  the  best 
pigeon  for  this  purpose.  This  variety  is 
strong  and  vigorous;  a  hearty  feeder  and  good 
worker;  bright-eyed,  alert,  and  active; 
stocky,  symmetrical  and  full-breasted,  which 
counts  so  much  in  squabs.  They  are  also 
prolific,  and  their  squabs  are  full-feathered 
and  fit  for  market  in  four  weeks.  _ 

"I  was  very  fortunate  in  getting  my  first 
twenty-five  pairs  of  birds.  These  were 
Homers,  full-blooded,  and  had  established 
records  for  flying,  having  taken  first  honors 
in  several  contests. 

"They  not  only  averaged  me  seven  and 
one-half  pairs  of  squabs  a  year,  but  stamped 
their  vitality  on  the  birds  I  have  selected 
from  their  young. 

"As  my  profits  accrued  I  purchased 
straight  Homer  stock,  picking  from  the  best 
near-by  breeders,  as  well  as  those  of  estab- 
lished reputation  at  a  distance. 

"I  always  put  a  lot  of  new  birds  in  a  clean 
coop  by  themselves,  give  generous  supply 
of  feed  and  water,  and  have  plenty  of  nesting 
materials  in  the  coop,  and  if  they  have  come 
from  a  distance  put  a  good  poultry  powder 
in  their  feed  for  the  first  meal,  and  let  them 


alone  for  a  few  days.  If  they  are  strong, 
healthy  birds  they  ought  soon  to  begin  to 
carry  materials  and  build  nests.  When  nest 
building  is  fully  under  way  I  transfer  each 
mated  pair  to  permanent  breeding  quarters. 
When  I  find  a  pair  of  birds  mated,  I  call  my 
assistant  and  tell  him  which  bird  to  keep  his 
eyes  on,  and  not  to  lose  sight  of  it  a  single 
instant.  At  the  same  time  1  note  the  other 
bird  and  catch  it.  I  pass  the  caught  bird 
to  the  assistant.  He  points  out  the  other 
bird  and  it  is  soon  caught.  I  band  all 
purchases  as  well  as  those  I  raise. 

"My  weekly  expense  for  feeding  my  flock 
of  fifteen  hundred  pigeons  during  the  month 
of  December,  1903,  was  eighteen  dollars  and 
thirty  cents  for  the  following :  Three  hundred 
pounds  of  cracked  corn,  three  bushels  each  of 
wheat,  peas  and  kaffir  corn,  one  and  one-half 
bushels  of  millet,  one  bushel  of  hemp  and  half 
a  bushel  of  cracked  rice.  The  rice  I  do  not 
feed  regularly,  but  give  when  the  bird's 
bowels  are  loose,  for  which  condition  it  is  an 
excellent  corrective.  Feed  is  now  much 
higher  than  last  year. 

"Pigeon-keeping  for  squabs  may  fitly  be 
termed  a  twentieth-century  industry,  for 
only  during  the  last  five  years  has  it  by  its 
rapid  development  attained  to  the  dignity  of 
a  special  business.  The  business  will  surely 
still  more  increase  during  the  first  decade 
of  this  century.  The  price  of  squabs  has  been 
strongly  maintained  during  the  five  years 
just  passed,  notwithstanding  the  marvelous 
increase  in  the  business.  The  business  furnishes 
a  way  by  which  either  men  or  women  (for 
many  of  the  latter  have  successfully  taken 
up  squab  raising)  can  embark  in  an  enterprise 
which  does  not  call  for  severe  bodily  exertion 
and  which  if  intelligently  managed  will  yield 
good  dividends." 

SQUAB  RAISING  ON  THE  FARM. 
Pigeons  Kept  in  the  Upper  Part  of  Duck  and 
Poultry  Houses. — The  following  is  from  an 
article  in  the  Country  Gentleman,  entitled 
"A  Combination  Plant,  Fruit,  Bees,  Fowls 
and  Squabs" : 

"For  growing  squabs  some  have  separate 
houses,  some  use  the  lofts_  of  old  barns,  and 
many  are  so  constructing  then-  poultry 
buildings  as  to  have  quarters  for  growing 
squabs  in  the  second  story  of  the  poultry 
houses.  This  is  gained  by  laying  a  flat  roof 
on  top  of  the  poultry  house,  on  top  of  this 
a  double  thickness  of  tar  paper  well  coated 
with  hot  tar,  with  a  board  floor  laid  over  it. 
This  provides  the  floor  for  the  pigeon  house, 
the  roof  for  the  poultry  house,  and  makes  it 
absolutely  vermin  proof  both  ways.  A  large 
duck  grower  of  our  acquaintance  has  squab 
houses  of  this  character  built  over  his  duck 
brooder  houses  and  his  poultry  houses. 
Several  thousand  pairs  of  breeding  pigeons 
are  kept  in  this  way,  with  a  hanging  outdoor 
flying  aviary  for  the  pigeons.  When  it  has  been 
successful  on  so  large  a  scale,  smaller  growers 
need  not  hesitate  ia  adopting  such  a  plan. 


124          NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


"Of  course  cleanliness,  care  and  sanitary 
conditions  about  the  plant  are  imperative. 
The  most  successful  squab  growers  do  not 
scatter  sand  or  dirt  of  any  kind  on  the  floor 
or  in  nest  boxes.  Neither  do  they  use  any- 
thing but  straw  for  the  birds  to  build  their 
nests.  The  droppings  are  all  thoroughly 
scraped  up  from  the  board  floor,  from  the 
nest  boxes  and  under  the  perches  once  or 
twice  a  week  with  a  hoe,  and  stored  awa"  in 
bags  and  sold  at  50  to  60  cents  per  bushel. 
They  are  used  by  tanners  in  making  the  very 
best  grades  of  leather.  These  droppings  are 
of  no  value  when  mixed  with  tobacco  stems, 
shavings,  sawdust  or  sand.  Grain  or  feed 
of  any  kind  if  mixed  in  with  them  will  not 
injure  their  value,  nor  will  some  little  straw 
or  feathers  count  much  against  their  value. 
Buy  a  good  sharp  hoe;  floors  constructed  in 
this  way  can  be  thoroughly  cleaned  by  scrap- 
ing up  once  or  twice  a  week,  and  in  this  way 
the  sanitary  conditions  will  be  of  the  very 
best. 

"Those  who  do  not  care  to  dispose  of  the 
droppings  in  this  way  in  some  instances 
spread  from  six  to  eight  inches  of  soil  from 
their  land  over  the  floor  of  the  squab  house. 
This  is  allowed  to  remain  from  three  to  six 
months.  Usually  at  the  end  of  the  moulting 
season  all  the  nest  boxes  and  the  whole  house 
is  thoroughly  cleaned  out  and  the  entire  con- 
tents of  same  dumped  on  the  floor,  scraped  and 
hauled  away  and  scattered  over  the  land. 
This  makes  an  excellent  fertilizer.  We  know 
of  one  instance  where  a  large  number  of 
squabs  are  kept  in  this  way,  and  the  house  is 
cleaned  but  twice  a  year.  In  the  spring  all 
the  cleanings  from  the  house  are  hauled  out 
and  spread  over  the  land  for  the  growing  of 
summer  crops.  After  the  fall  moult,  the 
place  is  thoroughly  cleaned  up  for  winter, 
the  cleanings  of  the  house  are  stored  away 


in  a  dry  place  and  retained  until  spring. 
Many  persons  would  call  this  a  filthy,  un- 
healthful  way  to  keep  a  squab  house,  but 


this  plan.  The  presence  of  the  five  or  six 
inches  of  dry  soil  on  the  floor  keeps  it  in  good 
condition  throughout  the  season.  The  cloud 
of  dust  that  is  raised  at  times  by  the  pigeons 
flapping  their  wings  and  flying  about  is 
almost  a  certain  guarantee  against  insect 
attack.  However,  we  do  not  advise  this 
method.  We  simply  give  the  facts  as  we 
have  seen  them. 

"The  only  limit  to  the  extent  of  such  a 
plant  is  the  ability  of  those  who  possess  it 
properly  to  care  for  and  manage  all  its 
branches  at  a  profit.  Where  there  is  a  family 
of  boys  and  girls  it  might  be  well  to  engage 
the  attention  of  all  in  growing  these  several 
kinds  of  products,  and  to  lend  encourage- 
ment to  each  by  giving  him  a  share  of  the 
profits.  Scattered  all  over  the  country  are 
thousands  of  families  in  country  places  con- 
tinually worrying  and  wondering  why  they 
cannot  keep  their  children  at  home.  The 
real  reason  so  many  of  the  young  people 


leave  the  farm  is  that  they  are  compelled  to 
work  continually  and  never  receive  ap- 
portion of  the  income  for  their  labor.  If  the 
parents  would  allow  their  growing  families 
to  make  an  equal  sum  of  money  or  in  propor- 
tion to  what  they  can  make  by  leaving  home, 
there  would  be  far  less  complaint  on  this 
score.  All  children  wish  to  have  the  privilege 
of  earning  a  few  dollars  that  they  may  call 
their  own." 

The  following  paragraph  is  from  the  same 
paper  in  its  report  of  the  New  York  pigeon 
show,  January,  1904: 

"There  seems  to  be  a  depression  in  the  sale 
of  high-class  pigeons.  Well-favored  speci- 
mens of  the  highest  character  still  sell  at  top 
prices,  but  the  absence  of  any  commercial 
value  for  a  large  number  of  pigeons  that  are 
grown  detracts  from  the  numerous  sales  that 
their  producers  might  have.  If  producers  of 
the  hundreds  of  varieties  of  beautiful  pigeons 
would  turn  into  the  market  as  squabs  the 
greater  part  of  all  their  product  that  was 
not  valuable  for  the  exhibition  room,  greater 
returns  would  come  for  those  which  were 
saved  for  exhibition  purposes.  There  is  a 
grand  stride  forward  in  growing  squabs. 
The  combination  cf  poultry -growing  with 
squab-growing  works  well,  and  is  being 
adopted  by  so  many  small  farmers  as  to 
create  an  unusual  demand  for  all  grades  of 
pigeons  that  are  good  for  this  purpose. 

"It  is  well  for  those  who  go  into  the  squab 
business  to  remember  that  the  price  is  graded 
by  size  and  quality.  During  winter  squabs 
that  would  average  eight  or  nine  pounds  to  the 
dozen  have  sold  at  retail  in  the  New  York 
market  at  from  35  to  40  cents  each,  while 
those  which  averaged  two  or  three  pounds  less 
to  the  dozen  sold  at  from  12K  to  20  cents. 
It  takes  quite  as  much  time  and  as  much 
care  and  food  to  produce  the  small  specimens 
that  bring  the  lower  prices  as  it  does  to  pro- 
duce the  higher  grades  which  bring  the  better 
prices.  People  are  beginning  to  find  this  out, 
and  taking  advantage  of  the  knowledge,  are 
looking  about  for  the  best  quality  of  pigeons 
to  produce  the  best  market  squabs." 

SQUAB  PIN-MONEY.  The  following  para- 
graph appeared  in  the  January,  1904,  issue 
of  the  Designer,  a  monthly  magazine  for 
women  published  by  the  Butterick  Publishing 
Company  of  New  York  City: 

"A  young  woman  of  my  acquaintance 
has  kept  herself  supplied  with  hats,  boots  and 
gloves  during  the  past  year  by  selling  the 
squabs  of  six  pairs  of  Homer  pigeons.  They 
require  very  little  care,  and  the  young  are 
ready  for  market  when  four  weeks  old.  My 
friend  is  so  well  pleased  with  her  success  that 
she  has  added  seven  pairs  to  her  stock,  and 
confidently  expects  to  dress  herself  completely 
on  the  sum  derived  from  the  sate  of  her 
squabs. — M.  P." 

THEY  FLEW  HOME.  A  dispatch  from 
Paris,  printed  by  the  Baltimore  Sun,  says: 


SUPPLEMENT 


125 


"A  man  named  Maraud  complained  to  M. 
Brunei,  Police  Commissary  for  one  of  the 
districts  on  the  south  side  of  the  Seine,  that 
he  had  been  robbed  of  six  valuable  carrier 
pigeons  and  said  that  one  of  his  friends  had 
seen  them  at  the  house  of  another  man. 

"The  magistrate  went  to  the  place  indicated 
and  there  saw  some  birds.  'How  did  you 
come  by  them?'  he  asked  of  the  man.  'Oh, 
I  bought  them  months  ago.'  was  the  reply. 

"  'Well,  bring  them  to  my  office,"  said  Mr. 
Brunet.  There  he  had  a  wax  seal  attached 
to  each  bird's  leg  and  the  birds  liberated. 

"They  flew  back  to  Maraud's  house  and 
an  hour  later  the  thief  was  on  his  way  to 
the  police  depot  in  the  black  maria." 

SQUAB  INDUSTRY'S  GREAT  GROWTH. 
Address  Delivered  Before  the  New  Jersey 
State  Board  of  Agriculture.  Years  ago  when 
poultry  and  egg  production  was  being  first 
advocated  extensively,  there  were  many 
fears  expressed  that  the  business  would  be 
overdone,  that  chickens  and  eggs  would  come 
to  be  common  and  low  priced,  and  the  fear 
that  there  would  be  no  money  in  the  business 
no  doubt  kept  many  out  of  it.  Nevertheless, 
more  and  more  have  gone  into  poultry  and 
eggs  year  after  year,  and  millions  of  dollars' 
worth  of  both  are  marketed  yearly.  Whole 
communities,  like  Petaluma,  California,  are 
given  up  to  poultry  and  eggs.  Eggs  got  as 
high  as  sixty  cents  a  dozen  in  the  large  cities 
the  past  winter  (1904). 

Some  people  not  informed  as  to  squabs 
think  that  if  many  go  into  squab  raising  the 
prices  are  going  to  drop  until  there  is  no 
profit  in  the  business.  On  the  contrary, 
prices  for  squabs  have  been  increasing  every 
year  here  in  the  East,  and  they  are  going  to 
increase  in  the  West  in  the  years  to  come. 
Consumers  who  have  read  pur  advertising 
all  over  the  country  are  eating  squabs  who 
never  ate  them  before,  and  the  effect  of  our 
advertising  on  the  general  squab  market 
everywhere  has  been  to  boost  prices.  Well- 
to-do  people  who  are  led  to  get  into  the  habit 
of  having  squabs  on  their  tables  keep  on 
ordering  them,  and  tell  others,  and  thus  the 
market  grovvs. 

If  all  the  Homer  breeders  we  have  sold 
during  the  years  we  have  been  in  business 
were  concentrated  in  one  plant,  we  could  sell 
the  entire  squab  output  of  that  one  plant  to 
any  one  of  a  Hundred  commission  men  in  one 
of  the  large  cities. 

New  Jersey  is  doing  weir  with  .squabs. 
Other  States,  notably  California,  Iowa, 
Wisconsin,  Michigan  and  Massachusetts  are 
producing  a  great  many.  Just  what  is  being 
accomplished  in  New  Jersey  comes  as  a 
surprise  to  people  who  look  upon  this  business 
as  something  new  and  untried.  At  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  New  Jersey  State 
Board  of  Agriculture  in  January,  1904,  an 
address  was  given  by  Mr.  G  .L.  Gillingham_on 
squab  raisiner,  in  the  course  of  which  he  said: 

"The  production  of  squabs  for  the,  markets 


of  our  large  cities  is  an  industry  .that  is  reach- 
ing considerable  proportions  in  this  State. 
And,  although  it  is  growing  yearly,  yet  the 
prices  seem  to  be  advancing;  showing  that 
there  is  an  unlimited  demand. 

"The  great  scarcity  of  game  all  over  our 
country  compels  the  keepers  of  first-class 
hotels  and  restaurants  to  look  for  something 
to  take  its  place,  and  at  the  same  time  be  sure 
of  a  supply  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  There- 
fore they  have  hit  upon  the  squab  to  fill  this 
void,  and  now  when  one  calls  for  quail  on 
toast,  or  order  of  a  similar  nature,  it  will 
very  often  be  found  that  the  quail  was  raised 
in  a  pigeon  loft,  and  is  much  younger,  more 
tender  and  juicy  than  the  quail  would  have 
been,  could  it  have  been  secured. 

"This  is  a  business  that  can  be  carried  on 
in  connection  with  poultry  raising,  and  is  one 
that  may  be  conducted  upon  village  lots 
by  women  and  young  persons,  if  need  be,  and 
by  those  whose  other  business  takes  their 
attention  during  the  middle  portions  of  the 
day,  as  the  labor  connected  with  it  is  not 
heavy.  It  is  particularly  adapted  to  women 
who  wish  to  add  something  to  their  income. 
In  fact,  women  are  more  apt  to  succeed  in 
it  than  most  men,  as  it  requires  close  atten- 
tion to  the  little  things,  as  it  is  the  many 
little  things  that  go  to  make  up  the  final 
profits  at  the  end;  as  women  are  generally 
more  patient  and  thorough  with  small  details 
they  will  be  more  successful. 

"The  extent  to  which  this  business  is 
conducted  in  some  parts  of  our  State  may 
be  shown  by  stating  that  in  one  town  in 
Burlington  County  of  about  3000  inhabitants, 
the  purchase  of  one  dealer  the  past  year  was 
56,582  squabs,  for  which  he  paid  $16,400; 
while  another  dealer  bought  perhaps  a  little 
over  half  as  many  more,  bringing  the  aggre- 
gate to  86,000  squabs,  for  which  the  people 
of  that  town  received  nearly  $25,000;  while 
another  single  grower  in  the  same  county 
shipped  from  his  own  lofts  between  13,000 
and  14,000  birds. 

"The  cost  of  feed  and  care  for  a  working  loft 
of  pigeons  is  about  $1  per  pair  per  year 
(manure  not  sold).  Some  put  it  much  lower, 
but  at  the  present  prices  of  feed,  if  proper  care 
is  given,  we  should  not  figure  much  lower 
than  $1.  A  good  pair  of  birds  will  produce 
from  seven  to  ten  pair  of  squabs  per  year; 
generally  an  average  of  not  over  eight  pair. 
The  prices  have  ranged  the  past  year  from 
25  cents  for  the  poorest,  to  as  high  as  75, 
80  and  90  cents  for  the  best.  Putting  the 
number  raised  at  the  lowest  (seven  pairs) 
and  the  average  price  at  40  cents,  we  have 
$2.80  for  the  $1  invested  yearly  after  the  first 
cost  of  investment  for  buildings,  etc.,  which 
need  not  be  expensive,  according  to  the  taste 
and  means  of  the  builder  and  the  amount  of 
capital  he  wishes  to  put  into  it.  The  houses 
should  always  be  placed  where  the  drainage 
is  good,  preferably  upon  a  dry  knoll,  facing 
the  south  or  southeast.  Some  paying  lofts 
have  been  made  by  fitting  up  unused  wagon- 


126 


NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


house  or  wood-house  lofts,  or  over  hen  houses. 
Other  houses  have  been  constructed  for 
poultry  on  the  ground  floor  and  the  story 
above  for  pigeons.  In  this  case  great  care 
must  be  exercised  to  have  the  floor  well  laid 
with  planed  and  grooved  flooring,  to  keep 
vermin  from  passing  up  from  the  poultry. 

"Very  large  flocks  should  not  be  kept  in  one 
room.  From  50  to  100  pairs  aie  enough  to 
keep  together  for  the  best  results,  preferably 
the  former.  A  room  10  x  12  is  ample  for  50 
pairs  of  working  birds.  A  house  may  be 
built  of  any  desired  length,  12  feet  wide  and 
divided  into  apartments  of  the  above  size 
by  wire  partitions  with  doors  hung  on  spring 
hinges,  to  facilitate  passing  through  in 
feeding. 

"These  houses  should  have  windows  on 
the  south,  of  sufficient  size  to  afford  ample 
light  in  all  parts  of  the  house  and  no  more, 
as  too  much  glass  makes  the  house  too  cold 
on  the  winter  nights. 

"As  each  pair  requires  two  nests,  as  they 
are  generally  sitting  in  one  while  raising 
young  in  the  other,  there  should  be  twice  as 
many  nests  as  pairs  of  birds,  with  eighteen 
to  twenty  to  spare,  that  they  may  take  their 
choice. 

"The  period  of  incubation  is  eighteen 
days,  the  hen  bird  sitting  on  the  eggs,  except- 
ing about  four  hours  each  day,  when  the  male 
takes  her  place,  while  she  is  feeding  and 
resting. 

"During  incubation  a  substance  forms  in 
the  crop  of  both  birds,  known  as  pigeon  milk 
or  curd,  on  which  the  young  are  fed  for  the 
first  five  or  six  days,  until  they  are  old  enough 
to  digest  the  grain,  which  is  carried  to  them 
in  the  crop  of  the  old  birds,  and  ejected  from 
their  mouths  to  the  mouth  of  the  young  bird 
by  the  same  process  as  the  pigeon  milk  is 
fed  in  the  first  place.  Hence  it  is  important 
that  the  proper  feed  be  given,  which  should 
consist  of  a  variety  of  grain  and  seeds,  the 
larger  the  variety,  the  better.  These  should 
consist  of  cracked  corn,  rather  coarse  (prefer- 
ably about  three  or  four  pieces,  from  a  single 
kernel),  with  the  fine  sifted  out.  This  should 
be  kept  before  them  in  troughs  or  hoppers, 
so  constructed  that  they  cannot  throw  it 
out  and  waste  it,  which  they  will  frequently 
do  in  search  of  other  grains  of  which  they  are 
more  fond.  The  other  seeds  should  consist 
of  whole  corn,  Canada  peas,  Kaffir  corn, 
hulled  oats,  millet  and  hempseed.  These 
should  be  fed  on  the  floor  twice  daily,  just 
what  they  will  clean  up  quickly,  feeding  the 
hempseed  but  twice  or  three  times  per  week, 
except  in  the  moulting  season,  when  a  small 
quantity  may  be  fed  each  day,  as  hempseed 
is  very  fattening,  and  when  led  in  excess  bad 
results  may  follow.  Do  not  feed  wheat  too 
liberally,  and  always  mixed  with  other 
seeds,  using  the  hard,  red  wheat  and  never 
new  wheat,  as  it  has  a  tendency  to  loosen  the 
bowels  of  the  young  birds  with  sometimes 
fatal  results.  In  connection  with  the  feeds, 
the  birds  should  be  furnished  with  ground 


oyster  shell  for  grit,  also  a  liberal  supply  of 
salt  and  small  bits  of  charcoal  and  gravel. 
The  salt  is  necessary  to  keep  them  in  good 
health.  These  substances  may  be  kept  in 
small  boxes  around  the  house  where  the  birds 
can  have  free  access  to  them. 

"A  generous  supply  of  pure  water  should 
be  kept  before  them  at  all  times  near  the 
feeding  trough,  and  should  be  supplied  each 
morning  before  feeding,  that  the  old  birds  may 
have  access  to  it  immediately  after  feeding, 
before  taking  the  feed  to  their  young. 

"In  stocking  the  houses,  always  avoid 
using  common  breeders,  as  the  results  will  be 
disappointing.  They  are  not  prolific  and  are 
more  liable  to  produce  dark  squabs,  which 
always  bring  the  lowest  price  in  market,  and 
do  not  feed  the  young  as  well  as  the  full 
bipods.  The  best  all-round  birds  for  squab 
raising  are  the  straight  Homers,  as  they  are 
the  most  active,  good  workers,  quiet  disposition, 
and  the  best  of  feeders. 

"The  Runt  is  the  largest  of  pigeons,  but  a 
very  slow  worker,  seldom  producing  more 
than  four  pairs  of  squabs  per  year.  It 
makes  a  good  cross  with  Homer  and  Dragoon, 
but  even  then  will  not  produce  as  many  birds 
as  either  of  the  others  alone. 

"The  squabs  are  dressed  for  market  once 
a  week,  on  regular  shipping  days.  They  are 
dressed  just  before  they  are  large  enough  to 
leave  the  nests,  and  when  they  are  full- 
feathered,  and  should  weigh  at  this  time 
eight  pounds  per  dozen,  this  size  commanding 
the  highest  price,  the  prices  falling  off  very 
fast  as  the  size  drops  from  this  weight.  The 
squabs  should  be  dressed  with  empty  crops. 
They  may  be  caught  in  the  early  morning 
before  feeding,  and  dressed,  or  caught  the 
evening  before,  after  the  old  birds  have  fed 
them  for  the  night,  and  kept  in  hampers  until 
morning,  when  their  crops  will  be  just  in  the 
right  condition. 

"After  the  young  birds  are  two  or  three 
weeks  old,  the  old  birds  build  another  nest 
and  begin  to  sit  again,  the  male  bird  taking 
most  of  the  care  of  the  young  until  they  are 
ready  to  dress;  hence  the  importance  of 
supplying  two  nests  for  each  pair.  Thus  a 
good  pair  of  working  birds  have  a  pair  of 
young  and  a  pair  of  eggs  a  large  portion  of  the 
time. 

"During  the  summer  months  the  birds 
should  be  furnished  with  a  shallow  tub  of 
water  in  which  to  take  a  bath,  two  or  three 
times  per  week,  which  will  help  them  to  keep 
free  of  vermin.  These  tubs  should  be 
emptied  after  they  have  bathed,  as  they 
should  not  be  allowed  to  drink  the  water  in 
•which  they  have  bathed. 

"With  good  care,  properly  constructed 
houses,  wholesome  food,  never  sour  or  tainted, 
very  little  disease  should  be  encountered. 
Prevention  is  better  and  more  easily  ad- 
ministered than  cure.  Some  of  these  are  dry 
houses,  pure  water,  regularity  in  feeding  and 
cleanliness.  The  water  buckets  should  be 
washed  out  frequently  with  creoline  water. 


SUPPLEMENT 


127 


made  by  adding  a  teaspoonful  of  creoline  to 
one  quart  of  water.  This  will  kill  any  disease 
germs  that  may  be  present,  and  is  a  good 
disinfectant. 

"Give  good  care,  not  neglecting  the  small 
things,  as  it  is  the  multitude  of  these  wherein 
the  profit  lies. 

"The_  demand  for  squabs  is  constantly 
increasing  and  any  one  entering  into  this 
business  and  willing  to  give  it  the  attention 
it  requires  will  always  find  a  profit  on  the 
right  side  of  the  ledger.  But  remember  this 
profit  will  be  according  to  the  care  and 
intelligence  put  into  the  business." 

NEW  YORK  MARKET.  The  following  is 
taken  from  the  New  York  World,  an  article 
on  squabs,  published  in  August,  1904: 

Squab-Raisingj  as  a  Fine  Art. — Game  Laws 
Make  Propagation  of  this  Small  Bird  a 
Remunerative  Business.— Palates  Demand  Sub- 
stitute for  Quail  and  Other  Morsels  that 
Statutes  Forbid. — Few  persons,  even  among 
the  devotees  of  late  suppers  in  New  York's 
high-priced  restaurants,  in  looking  over  their 
elaborate  menus  and  selecting,  say,  a  squab 
on  toast,  realize  what  a  tremendous  industry 
the  Broadway  taste  for  a  large  cold  bottle 
and  a  small  hot  bird  has  developed  in  the 
United  States  in  recent  years. 

The  industry  may,  indeed,  be  considered 
in  itself  in  a  squab  state,  but  such  has  become 
the  after-theatre  demand  for  the  tasty  little 
birds  that  many  business  men  have  turned 
from  less  lucrative  pursuits  to  devote  their 
energies  to  their  raising. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  state  precisely 
how  many  squabs  are  annually  bred  in  the 
United  States,  but  it  is  estimated  that 
hundreds  of  thousands  reach  the  tables  and 
tickle  the  palates  of  luxury-loving  and 
extravagant  people. 

The  best  of  judgment  in  regard  to  quality 
and  quantity  of  feed  is  essential,  cracked  corn 
and  red  wheat  being  the  staple  food.  Kaffir 
corn,  Canada  peas,  buckwheat  and  millet 
comprise  about  20  per  cent  of  the  food  in 
winter,  and  in  the  summer  less  corn  but  more 
wheat.  Grit  and  salt  are  before  the  birds 
always. 

At  the  age  of  four  weeks  the  squabs  are 
ready  for  market  and  are  deliciously  tender, 
as  they  have  never  learned  to  fly,  and  their 
muscles  have  not  had  the  hardening  influence 
of  exercise.  The  killers  now  get  busy.  With 
a  slip-noose  around  the  feet,  and  wings  locked 
on  the  back,  the  squabs  are  suspended  from 
a  rack.  A  killing  knife  is  inserted  well  into 
the  mouth  and  a  quick,  deep  slash  made  at 
the  back  of  the  throat,  allowing  the  bird  to 
bleed  freely. 

An  expert  can  kill  and  rough  pick  about 
four  birds  before  they  get  cold.  The  squabs 
are  next  dropped  into  a  galvanized  iron  tub, 
through  which  a  constant  stream  of  water 
flows,  which  cools  the  birds.  Then  a  small 
hose  nozzle  is  inserted  in  the  mouth  and  water 
allowed  to  fill  the  crop,  after  which  it  is  with- 


drawn and  a  quick  pressure  forces  everything 
out.  A  second  use  of  the  hose  thoroughly 
cleanses  the  crop.  Two  more  immersions 
in  iced  water  make  the  birds  ready  for  local 
shipment. 

In  the  Lenten  season  commission  houses 
buy  and  ice  thousands  of  dozens  of  squabs 
for  winter  trade.  That  is  also  the  time  squab 
raisers  select  and  save  the  best  stock  for 
breeders. 

Many  of  the  live  birds,  especially  the 
Homers  and  red  Carneaux,  cost  from  $2.50 
to  $6  per  pair. 

Prices  for  squab  in  New  York  City  run  from 
$4  per  dozen  in  the  early  season  to  $5.50  and 
$6  in  the  winter. 

TWO  YEARS'  EXPERIENCE  WITH  OUR 
BIRDS.  Will  you  kindly  send  us  price-list 
and  such  other  printed  matter  as  you  have 
issued  within  the  past  year?  You  will 
remember  we  bought  six  pairs  of  you  one  year 
ago  last  July.  We  have  about  124  now  and 
are  disposing  of  all  the  squabs  we  can  raise 
at  three  dollars  per  dozen.  All  of  our  birds 
are  not  laying  yet  but  will  soon  mature.  We 
have  lost  several  when  they  were  young  birds, 
then  we  had  some  stolen  (one  of  which  came 
back).  One  bird  had  a  peculiar  substance 
form  around  the  outside  under  the  bill.  Will 
you  tell  us  if  this  was  canker?  We  disposed 
of  the  bird  at  once.  We  did  not  try  to  treat 
it  at  all.  The  people  here  know  very  little 
about  fine  squab,  but  I  believe  the  market 
is  growing  better  right  along.  Feed  is  much 
higher  here  than  in  the  East.  We  have  to 
pay  $1.75  per  100  for  cracked  corn,  $2.15  for 
red  wheat,  $1.75  for  Kaffir  corn  and  about 
$5  for  hempseed,  so  that  $3  per  dozen  does 
not  bring  in  a  very  large  profit.  Would  you 
advise  our  raising  the  price?  We  hope  to 
send  you  another  order  shortly.  We  have 
not  tried  to  use  the  manure  at  all.  We  have 
had  no  trouble  with  our  birds  as  to  vermin. 
They  seem  to  keep  entirely  -free  from  it. — 
Mrs.  H.  D.,  State  of  Washington. 

TO  MONTANA  IN  GOOD  ORDER.  I 

received  the  crate  of  pigeons  yesterday. 
They  were  all  alive  and  in  good  health. — 
J.  F.,  Montana. 

FINDS  OUR  BIRDS  FAST  BREEDERS. 
On  September  16,  1902,  I  ordered  six  pairs 
Extra  from  you  and  now  (August  30,  1904) 
have  about  two  hundred  old  pigeons  and 
squabs  together,  and  will  want  to  begir 
shipping  a  few  before  long.  Wish  you 
would  please  give  me  the  names  of  a  lot  of 
desirable  squab  buyers  in  New  York  and  • 
other  nearby  cities.  Do  you  think  prices 
will  be  better  later  on  in  the  fall,  and  which 
is  the  best  way  to  ship  them,  dead  or  alive? 
Can  I  get  shipping  crates  already  made? 
If  so,  where,  and  at  what  price?  Thanking 
you  in  advance  for  this  information. — 
W.  E.  H.,  North  Carolina. 


128 


NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


HAD    NO    TROUBLE    RAISING    THEM. 

Last  spring,  in  April,  I  think,  we  bought 
twelve  pairs  Extra  for  thirty  dollars  of  you. 
At  present  we  have  eighty-five  in  all,  or  about 
sixty  young  birds  that  we  have  raised  our- 
selves. We  would  not  think  of  selling  them 
as  we  have  had  very  good  success  and  are 
much  interested  in  the  business,  but  through 
sickness  I  lost  my  former  position  in  this 
village  and  have  now  secured  a  permanent 
one  in  Chicago,  and  expect  to  move  there  in 
a  few  weeks.  Expect  to  locate  right  in  the 
city  and  consequently  will  have  no  facilities 
for  keeping  the  pigeons,  and  so  am  anxious 
to  sell.  The  birds  are  as  healthy  as  when 
we  received  them,  as  we  have  followed  very 
carefully  the  rules  laid  down,  in  caring  for 
them,  and  have  never  seen  any  signs  of 
disease  among  them.  Have  lost  only  com- 
paratively few,  and  those  were  small  ones 
which  were  neglected  by  mother  birds,  or  by 
some  accident.  Quite  a  large  number  ot 
our  young  birds  have  mated  and  have  bred 
the  latter  part  of  the  winter. — R.  F.  G., 
Michigan. 

GETTING  SEX  DOLLARS  A  DOZEN.     Two 

of  the  six  pairs  have  now  hatched  out  three 
squabs,  two  on  February  4  and  one  on  February 
7  (the  other  egg  evidently  was  chilled  by  the 
extreme  cold  weather).  The  market  price  in 
Newark  is  six  dollars  a  dozen,  and  we  have 
contracted  to  sell  these  three  squabs  at  that 
price.  They  are  fat  and  very  satisfactory. 
We  are  very  much  encouraged  and  wish  to 
increase  our  flock. — F.  C.,  New  Jersey. 

THE  TRUTH  ABOUT  THE  MARKETS. 

I  received  your  Manual  and  have  read  it 
through  very  carefully.  I  have  found  that 
it  tells  the  very  truth.  I  was  in  Washington 
Market  and  there  they  told  me  just  the  same. 
They  will  take  all  the  squabs  I  can  give  them. 
I  think  I  will  give  you  an  order  next  month 
for  48  pairs  Homers  and  one  gross  nappies. — 
H.  T.,  New  York. 

ATTRACT  ADMIRATION  IN  CALIFORNIA. 

Birds  arrived  on  the  llth  safe  and  in  first- 
class  condition  for  the  length  of  their  trip. 
I  am  well  satisfied  with  the  birds  and  expect 
to  give  you  an  order  for  more  before  long. 
Every  one  that  has  seen  them  thinks  they 
are  fine. — E.  J.,  California. 

OUR    METHODS    IN     SOUTH    AFRICA- 

Enclosed  find  fiftv  cents  for  which  please  send 
me  a  copy  of  National  Standard  Squab  Book. 
Perhaps  it  may  interest  you  to  know  that 
this  is  to  assist  in  the  raising  of  squabs  in 
South  Africa. — L.  E.  D.,  Pennsylvania. 

YOUNGSTERS  ARE  BEAUTIES.  I  have 
fifty  or  more  pure  Homers  from  the  original 
old  birds  purchased  from  your  concern. 
These  youngsters  are  beauties  between  the 
ages  of  six  months  and  one  year. — B.  R.  D., 
Long  Island. 


IN  PERFECT  CONDITION.  My  mother 
bought  one  dozen  pairs  of  your  birds  a  year 
ago  and  now  has  about  sixty  in  flock.  They 
have  been  well  cared  for  and  are  in  perfect 
condition. — T.  A.  B.,  Kentucky. 

A  NEWS-AGENT'S  SIDE  LINE.  I  have 
been  doing  a  little  business  that  1  did  not 
have  time  to  tell  you  about  in  my  last  letter. 
I  have  boys  in  several  of  the  towns  around 
here  to  get  squabs  for  me  and  I  have  made 
arrangements  with  the  above  firm  to  deliver 
those  that  I  don't  sell  myself,  on  commission. 
The  hotel  has  an  order  for  150  per  week. 
Besides  this  order  I  sell  to  several  restaurants 
and  let  the  market  deliver  to  the  houses.  I 
am  the  only  one  here  who  buys  squabs  to  any 
extent,  and  average  200  to  300  per  week.  I 
make  from  $5  to  $7.50  each  week  this  way, 
besides  what  I  make  on  '..he  train.  How  is 
that  for  a  news-agent  running  a  train  every 
day  from  11  p.m.  to  1.15  a.m.? — B.  D.. 
Texas. 

HAS  OVERSOLD  HIS  SQUAB  CAPACITY. 

Could  you  supply  me  with  two  dozen  first- 
class  squabs  for  shipment  from  Wooster  on 
or  about  December  22  ?  I  have  an  order  for 
that  amount,  and  while  the  birds  I  purchased 
from  you  are  doing  fine,  I  will  not  have  enough. 
Have  orders  for  breeders  and  squabs  enough 
to  keep  the  flock  working  overtime  until 
spring,  at  which  time  I  expect  to  enlarge  my 
plant  to  at  least  500  pairs.  I  could  of  course 
fill  this  small  order  from  nearby  markets, 
but  Homers  are  Homers,  and  I  don't  care  to 
depreciate  the  value  of  my  flock  by  shipping 
inferior  squabs. — C.  L.  Z.,  Ohio. 

THE  MAN  HE  WORKS  FOR  IS  MAKING 
MONEY  WITH  OUR  BIRDS.  I  see  in  the 
Poultry  Keeper  that  you  offer  a  squab  book 
free,  so  I  would  like  to  have  one,  for  I  have 
squabs  myself  and  I  would  like  to  learn  how 
to  raise  them.  I  am  only  a  boy  and  I  am 
working  for  Mr.  Fairbanks  on  his  farm.  He 
told  me  that  I  could  write  to  you  and  ask 
you  for  a  book.  I  know  the  chicken  business 
very  well,  but  not  the  squab  business.  Mr. 
Fairbanks  bought  pigeons  from  you  last  year 
(eighty  pairs  Extra  shipped  August  4,  1902). 
and  he  is  doing  fine  with  them,  so  good-bye 
and  don't  forget  the  address.  That  penny 
is  for  a  stamp,  and  the  other  stamp  is  for  the 
letter.— W.  H.,  Missouri. 

A  LONG   SHIPMENT  IN  GOOD  ORDER. 

Your  two  letters  dated  January  27  were 
received  yesterday,  February  1.  I  went  to 
the  express  office  early  this  morning  and 
found  the  pigeons  had  arrived  in  the  night. 
The  birds  are  all  alive  and  in  fine  condition 
but  two,  one  of  which  was  bruised  and  I 
fear  its  wing  is  broken.  I  thank  you  for 
the  extra  two  pairs  and  for  the  crates.  I 
have  a  fine  new  squab  house  built  according 
to  your  plans,  only  the  flying  pen  runs  up  to 
the  top  of  the  roof,  which  I  think  a.  better 


SUPPLEMENT 


129 


plan  for  this  damp  climate.  I  may  send  for 
one  or  two  dozen  pairs  more  by  spring. — Mrs. 
E.  N.,  State  of  Washington. 

A  PERFECT  SHIPMENT  OF  HOMERS 
TO  FRANCE.  The  pigeons  arrived  this  day 
in  perfect  condition,  but  1  am  sorry  to  say  I 
have  neither  the  nappies  nor  the  bases.  I 
duly  received  your  letter  of  December  16 
which  I  answered  at  once.  I  have  this  day 
written  to  Puritan  Line  of  steamship  asking 
for  information  concerning  the  non-arrival 
of  the  nappies. — G.  D.,  France  (Europe). 

DOING  WELL.  The  pigeons  purchased 
of  you  last  fall  are  doing  well.  Am  in  im- 
mediate need  of  more  wooden  nappies. — F. 
C.  J.,  Massachusetts. 

GOT  ONLY  TEN  CENTS  EACH  FOR 
SQUABS  BUT  MADE  MONEY.  I  built  two 
rustic  seats  for  a  neighbor  for  three  pairs 
of  Homer  pigeons,  and  put  them  in  a  pen 
eight  by  eight  feet.  They  increased  at  about 
a  pair  of  squabs  a  month.  We  turned  the 
young  ones  out  as  soon  as  they  were  able  to 
fly.  We  soon  had  a  flock  of  pigeons  of  about 
fifty  or  seventy-five.  Suddenly  we  found 
that  we  could  sell  the  young  ones  for  ten 
cents  apiece  and  the  butcher  took  them  off 
the  nest  for  us.  We  killed  the  three  original 
pairs  as  we  did  not  want  any  in  coops.  I 
built  a  pigeon  house  sixteen  feet  high  and 
ten  feet  square  on  the  ground,  two  stories. 
The  birds  come  in  at  the  top  and  nest  where 
they  please.  I  took  up  a  homestead  seventy 
miles  north.  On  this  my  whole  family  lived 
for  most  of  the  time.  While  we  were  away 
from  this  place,  the  butcher  came  regularly 
and  took  away  the  squabs  and  left  the  money 
or  his  account  with  a  neighbor.  We  never 
kept  any  account  of  the  profit  of  these  splen- 
did birds  except  last  year,  when  the  profit 
was  $34.50,  and  the  feed  would  not  amount 
to  a  dollar,  as  they  fly  out  and  rustle  their 
own  feed.  My  wife  feeds  them  a  little  to 
make  them  friendly.  I  have  a  large  wagon 
shed  and  they  used  to  nest  in  this.  I  shot 
some  of  them  and  they  have  never  bothered 
me  there  now  for  two  years.  They  are  wise 
and  I  think  they  can  talk.  As  a  comparison 
of  profit  between  chickens  and  squabs,  we 
had  a  coop  of  chickens  that  required  con- 
stant care.  After  deducting  $19  for  chicken 
feed,  the  profit  on  them  was  $33.  The 
chicken  coop  and  corral  are  quite  a  distance 
from  the  pigeon  house  and  the  pigeons  never 
feed  with  them— W.  S.  M..  California. 

NEVER  LOST  A  BIRD  BY  SICKNESS. 
In  June,  1902  I  got  twenty-four  pairs  of 
you,  paying  sixty  dollars  for  them.  I  have 
never  lost  a  bird  by  sickness.  I  killed  one. 
He  was  ailing  and  did  not  look  well,  so  I 
killed  him.  This  was  three  or  four  months 
after  I  got  the  birds.  Right  off  after  1  got 
them  I  raised  twenty-five  pairs,  then  1  be- 
gan to  kill  squabs,  as  I  had  no  room.  1  sold 


the  first  lot  of  squabs  in  February,  1903, 
and  got  25  cents  apiece  at  first  (this  was 
much  too  low) ,  then  1  sold  for  30  cents  apiece 
until  May,  1903.  I  should  say  I  sold  in  all 
150  squabs  up  to  May  1.  From  that  time 
on  the  marketman  to  whom  I  was  selling 
refused  to  give  me  more  than  18  cents  apiece, 
so  I  rigged  up  a  new  place  and  put  forty 
pairs  in  there  then  I  sold  a  few  more.  Since 
then  to  now  (November,  1903)  have  sold 
abjut  60  to  75  squabs.  I  have  sold  only 
squabs,  but  the  other  day  I  sold  six  pairs  of 
breeders  for  two  dollars  a  pair.  All  the  24 
original  pairs  I  got  of  you  have  kept  working. 
I  have  three  or  four  pairs  which  have  made 
a  nest  almost  every  month  since  I  have  had 
them.  They  had  eleven  nests,  others  four 
or  five  nests  a  pair.  I  have  eighty-eight 
pairs  of  breeders  now.  I  have  got  confi- 
dence now  to  go  ahead  and  am  going  to  start 
a  large  plant  in  the  country  and  will  buy 
some  more  birds  of  you. — H.  C. ,  Massachusetts. 

A  YOUNG  WOMAN'S  SUCCESS.  A  year 
ago  last  July  I  received  from  you  one-half 
dozen  pairs  and  paid  you  $15.  I  have  tried 
to  take  good  care  of  them  and  they  have 
increased  till  now  I  have  some  one  hundred 
young  birds.  I  did  not  try  to  sell  any  of  them 
as  I  wanted  to  let  the  flock  grow.  I  took  good 
care  of  the  young  birds  mating  and  so  there 
are  not  any  of  them  that  are  related  to  each 
other  now  that  are  bree.ling.  I  had  built  for 
them  a  good  warm  house  according  to  your 
directions  and  they  have  done  very  well. 
Some  few  died  during  this  winter,  but  I  think 
they  were  crowded  and  so  the  older  ones 
would  push  the  little  fellows  out  of  the  nest 
and  they  froze  during  the  night. — Miss  E.  M. 
C.,  Kansas. 

A  GOOD  HEALTHY  FLOCK.  I  bought 
24  pairs  Extra  of  you  a  little  over  a  year  ago. 
I  now  have  besides  the  24  pairs  about  40  pairs 
of  mated  birds,  all  leg  banded.  Also  I  have 
about  one  hundred  young  birds  and  all  but 
about  thirty  of  these  will  be  old  enough  to 
mate  by  the  first  of  April.  All  of  these  are 
leg  banded  and  are  good  healthy  birds  in  first- 
class  condition. — E.  A.  H.,  Iowa. 

GOING    TO    MAKE    AN    EXHIBIT.     My 

birds  that  I  received  of  you  in  July  and 
August  are  doing  fine,  and  as  there  is  a  poultry 
show  here  in  this  city  next  month,  I  thought 
perhaps  I  would  show  a  few  of  them.  Could 
you  give  me  any  pointers  on  putting  them  on 
exhibition?— E.  G.,  Michigan. 

EXPERIENCE  DEARLY  BOUGHT.  You 

may  possibly  think  I  am  doing  considerable 
correspondence  without  doing  much  trading, 
but  I  wish  to  get  your  advice  in  regard  to  a 
little  matter.  Last  April  I  purchased  seven- 
teen pigeons  of  a  friend  of  mine  for  $5.95.  I 
knew  nothing  except  what  your  Manual 
taught  me  about  the  business.  I  purchased 
in  the  fall  of  a  Westerner  what  were  suppose^1 


130          NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


to  be  twenty  pairs  of  Al  Homers,  but  they 
proved  to  be  a  poor  mess.  The  Westerner 
also  proved  to  be  a  dead  beat.  The  next  man 
I  tackled  was  in  your  State,  who  shipped  me 
twenty-four  pairs  Homers  for  $36.  Well,  at 
present  I  have  fifty-three  to  fifty-five  pairs  of 
birds  and  about  thirty-five  to  forty  head  of 
young  stock.  Now  I  see  where  I  am  lame, 
and  where  I  made  a  big  mistake  in  not  buying 
your  best  breeders,  if  I  had  only  purchased 
one-half  the  number.  I  wish  to  get  rid  of 
what  I  have.  I  have  a  large  house  and  wish 
to  fill  it  with  the  best  stock  obtainable. — M.  D., 
New  York. 

NEW  JERSEY  SEES  WHAT  REALLY 
PLUMP  SQUABS  ARE.  The  400  pairs  of 
pigeons  I  got  from  you  are  hale  and  hearty. 
By  actual  count  I  have  ninety-eight  pairs  of 
eggs  and  squabs,  besides  the  squabs  ready  to 
kill,  which  number  is,  however,  very  small. 
Taking  the  lateness  of  the  season  when  I  got 
the  birds  and  the  extreme  cold  we  have  here, 
I  think  the  outlook  all  right.  What  do  you 
say?  Everybody  is  stuck  on  the  plumpness 
of  the  squabs  when  dead  and  their  bright  and 
fine  appearance  when  alive. — J.  B.,  New 
Jersey. 

OUR    PROMISES    MEAN    SOMETHING. 

Thank  you  for  prompt,  kind  and  satisfactory 
way  of  settlement,  in  answer  to  our  letter  to 
you.  If  all  dealers  would  as  satisfactorily 
adjust  claims  similar  to  ours  as  you  have  done, 
there  would  be  a  much  easier  feeling  among 
purchasers.  This  action  on  your  part  shows 
that  your  guarantee  is  just  what  it  says. 
Again  thanking  you  for  your  business-like 
settlement  of  our  claim. — R.  B.  M.,  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

BOUGHT  BIRDS  THAT  NO  ONE  ELSE 
WANTED  AND  FOUND  THEM  INDEED 

CHEAP.  About  four  years  ago,  my  son,  now 
16  years  old,  got  the  pigeon  fever,  and  I  must 
admit  I  caught  it  myself.  He  first  put  up  a 
dry-goods  box  and  bought  a  few  birds.  He 
showed  so  much  interest  in  them  I  thought 
it  would  be  a  good  pastime  and  bought  him 
more  birds,  and  erected  a  house  as  per  en- 
closed sketch.  Like  most  beginners,  we 
wanted  a  variety  and  we  were  foolish  enough 
to  buy  them  anywhere,  and  presume  we  got 
what  no  one  else  wanted.  We  spent  quite  a 
few'  dollars  and  our  last  purchase  was  from  a 
fellow  in  Pennsylvania,  who  had  "more  than 
he  wanted,"  and  we  bought  them  because  they 
were  cheap,  and  they  were  cheap,  or  I  had 
better  say  they  were  mighty  dear.  The 

Figeons  never  had  a  nicer  home  or  better  feed. 
try  to  do  right  what  I  undertake,  every  one 
of  our  friends  said  we  would  succeed,  but  we 
made  a  miserable  failure  indeed.  My  wife 
saw  your  advertisement,  sent  for  some  litera- 
ture, we  then  sent  for  your  squab  book,  which 
we  just  received,  and  read  it  with  considerable 
interest.  The  fever  has  slightlv  returned,  not 
as  hard  as  at  first,  but  I  honestly  believe  that 


had  I  your  stock  in  the  first  place,  we  could 
now  tell  a  different  tale.  After  my  wife  read 
your  book,  she  said,  "I  believe  I  can  do  all 
right  with  that  kind  of  stock  myself.'  So  I 
have  encouraged  her,  as  she  feels  that  it 
would  be  pastime  for  pur  two  boys,  and  I  was 
certainly  fond  of  the  birds  when  we  had  them. 
Send  alone;  the  nappies  and  just  as  soon  as  we 
can  get  rid  of  the  truck  we  have,  and  straight- 
en house  up,  we  will  be  ready  for  the  Extra 
Homers.  I  believe  there  is  a  great  opportun- 
ity offered  in  squab  raising,  and  we  are  going 
to  try  it.— E.  G.,  New  Jersey. 

READ  OUR  RULES  TO  THE  EXPRESS 
AGENT  AND  GOT  A  REBATE  OF  ONE- 
HALF.  The  pigeons  came  to  me  Monday 
afternoon  and  seem  to  be  none  the  worse 
for  the  long  journey.  They  are  beauties 
and  I  find  it  almost  impossible  to  keep  away 
from  their  pen,  but  I  suppose  the  novelty  will 
wear  away.  I  should  have  written  yester- 
day, but  the  express  agent  had  overcharged 
me  and  I  wanted  to  settle  the  matter,  if  pos- 
sible, without  bothering  you.  I  am  glad  to 
say  I  was  able  to  persuade  him  he  was  in  the 
wrong,  and  after  reading  your  card  he  re- 
funded half  my  money.  Thank  you  for  the 
very  prompt  attention  you  gave  my  order. 
—Mrs.  R.  B.,  Florida. 

STRAIGHT   BUSINESS    METHODS.     The 

birds  arrived  (this  order  was  the  second 
order  from  this  customer,  six  months  after 
the  first  order)  in  good  condition,  and  are 
now  housed.  The  birds  look  fine.  I  thank 
you  very  much  for  the  extra  pair,  something 
that  I  did  not  expect  you  to  do  under  the 
circumstances,  as  it  was  no  fault  of  yours  of 
those  birds  going  light.  I  also  thank  you 
for  the  information  and  will  try  and  save  the 
bird  by  your  method.  To  get  even  with  you 
I  shall  show  my  birds  to  all  and  mention 
E.  C.  Rice.  Thanking  you  again  for  prompt 
shipment  and  straight  business  methods. — 
W.  D.,  Ohio. 

AN    OLD    CUSTOMER    HEARD    FROM. 

I  am  still  raising  squabs  and  like  my  pigeons 
better  than  ever  (this  customer  has  been  with 
us  going  on  three  years).  Am  having  good 
success  raising  them  all  through  this  awful 
cold  weather,  and  they  seem  healthier  than 
when  it  is  warmer.  I  enclose  check  for  which 
please  send  me  wooden  nappies.  If  you 
have  anything  new  in  the  way  of  literature 
kindly  send  me  some,  as  I  want  to  keep  in 
touch  with  you.  Have  you  supplied  birds 
to  any  one  around  here  lately?  Our  visit  to 
your  squab  plant  last  summer  is  pleasantly 
remembered  by  wife  and  I.— F.  L.  B.,  New 
Jersey. 

NICE  BIRDS.  The  pigeons  arrived  in  fine 
condition  and  seem  to  like  their  new  home 
very  much.  Thank  you  for  selecting  me 
such  nice  birds.  Hope  the  baskets  reached 
you  safe. — Mrs.  J.  P.  A.,  Virginia. 


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131 


BEAUTIFUL  BIRDS  GOT  TO  HIM  QUICK. 

Birds  received  yesterday  noon,  all  in  fine  con- 
dition. Put  them  in  their  house  last  night. 
All  took  a  good  bath  this  morning.  I  thank 
vou  for  your  promptness  and  for  sending  me 
.such  beautiful  birds.  I  had  not  expected 
birds  so  soon,  but  was  ready. — P.  M.  R., 
Kansas. 

SQUABS  SUPERIOR  TO  POULTRY.  I 

am  an  old  pigeon  and  squab  and  poultry 
man.  I  have  made  money  with  squabs,  and 
I  think  they  are  superior  to  poultry. — H.  S., 

Massachusetts. 

FLORIDA     PURCHASER     DELIGHTED. 

Pigeons  arrived  O.  K.  Saturday  night. 
I  am  delighted  with  them,  and  as  I  have  fol- 
lowed your  instructions  as  to  building  house, 
pen  and  other  articles,  the  birds  seem  to  be 
at  home. — M.  F.  B.,  Florida. 

THEY  ARE  BEAUTIES.  Received  pig- 
eons all  O.  K.  They  are  beauties  and  ha"e 
begun  to  nest.— F.  M.,  Ohio. 

A  TEXAS  CUSTOMER'S  APPRECIA- 
TION. Your  second  shipment  of  Homer 
pigeons  was  received  yesterday  and,  like  the 
first,  in  excellent  condition,  and  I  am  more 
than  pleased  with  them.  Although  my  deal- 
ings with  you,  when  compared  to  some  of 
your  large  customers,  are  rather  insignifi- 
cant, I  can't  allow  this  opportunity  to  pass 
without  expressing  to  you  my  thanks  and 
appreciation  for  your  filling  of  my  orders. 
For  square  dealings,  conducted  solely  along 
sound  business  lines,  you  are  without  a  peer 
in  the  pigeon  world  today.  I  most  heartily 
recommend  you  to  all. — S.  A.  F.,  Texas. 
(The  writer  of  this  letter  is  a  well-known 
Texas  business  man,  connected  with  one  of 
the  largest  corporations  in  that  State.) 

WON  SUCCESS  ALSO  BY  DOING  AS  WE 
DO;  NEVER  HAD  A  SICK  BIRD.  Some 
time  ago  I  bought  a  dozen  pairs  of  Homer 
pigeons  from  you  and  paid  $20  for  them,  and 
I  want  to  get  about  four  or  five  dozen  more 
pair,  and  would  like  to  know  the  price  you 
ask  for  them  at  present,  so  I  can  send  the 
money  at  once.  I  find  your  book  on  the 
pigeon  industry  covers  the  pigeon  business 
in  good  shape.  I  have  always  found  when 
you  start  to  make  a  new  pie  or  cake,  follow 
the  directions  of  the  people  that  have  made 
a  success.  Consequently,  I  have  not  had  a 
sick  pigeon  since  I  received  them  some  eight 
months  ago.  The  only  difference  I  made 
was  in  the  house,  and  in  that  the  only  dif- 
ference was  not  to  make  it  quite  as  tight  as 
they  are  made  in  your  locality.  Hoping  to 
hear  from  you  soon. — J.  W.  C.,  California. 

ANOTHER     WOMAN     PLEASED.       The 

birds  came  on  the  afternoon  of  the  6th. 
They  are  all  very  handsome.  Some  of  them 
are  beautiful.  You  will  be  surprised  to  learn 


that  in  less  than  24  hours  two  pairs  were 
nesting.  They  have  been  very  busy  all  day. 
—Mrs.  R.  L.  U.,  New  York. 

INCREASING  FAST.  Enclosed  find  $1.70 
for  leg  band  outfit.  I  am  receiving  excel- 
lent results  from  the  birds  and  they  are  in- 
creasing so  fast  that  I  find  it  necessary  to 
band  them.—  H.  C.  K.,  Maryland. 

OUR  HOMERS  ADVERTISE  THEM- 
SELVES. For  the  enclosed  $15  ship  by 
National  Express  six  pairs  Homers,  equally 
as  fine  birds  as  you  sent  on  August  3  last 
year,  ten  months  ago,  to  Ben  Barber  of  this 
place—  J.  B.  H.,  New  York. 

MANUAL  WORTH  FIVE  DOLLARS.  I 

am  in  receipt  of  your  National  Standard 
Squab  Book  and  am  very  much  interested  in 
the  work.  I  find  that  every  time  I  pick  it 
up  something  new  seems  to  appear.  In  fact, 
the  whole  subject  is  covered,  so  far  as  I  am 
able  to  judge,  and  I  consider  the  work  well 
worth  five  dollars  instead  of  your  dinky  price 
of  only  fifty  cents.  There  is_  a  squab  plant 
between  here  and  San  Francisco,  four  thou- 
sand birds.  Their  output  of  squabs,  twenty 
dozen  per  week,  all  go  to  the  Palace  Hotel, 
San  Francisco.  I  think  prices  for  squabs 
are  lower  here  than  in  the  East,  stilt  I  be- 
lieve there  is  money  in  it.  —  J.  L.  S.,  California. 


ONE  YEAR'S  SELECTION.     The  n 

of  breeders  has  increased  to  about  f  / 
pairs  from  those  I  purchased  from  you  aW  i 
a  year  ago  (fifteen  pairs)  and  all  are  go^4 
breeders,  as  I  have  been  particular  to  raise 
those  from  the  best  breeders  only.  —  H.  W, 
C.,  Michigan. 

BREEDING    THROUGH    THE    WINTER. 

Several  months  ago  I  purchased  from  you  a 
number  of  your  best  Homers.  They  have 
been  doing  fine,  breeding  right  along  through 
this  severe  weather;  in  fact,  my  flock  has  more 
than  doubled.—  L.  Z.,  Ohio. 

OUR  MANUAL  O¥  GREAT  HELP  TO 
HIM.  Some  little  time  ago  I  sent  for  your 
National  Standard  Squab  Book  and  after- 
wards for  six  dozen  of  your  wood  nappies. 
Since  then  I  have  been  keeping  my  pigeons 
according  to  your  instructions  and  with 
great  success.  I  had  some  fine,  pure-bred 
Homers  and  have  been  getting  squabs  at 
four  weeks  averaging  twelve  ounces.  I  have 
had  them  up  to  13,:/i  ounces.  You  strongly 
urge  the  adoption  of  all  methods  that  will  , 
reduce  the  time  necessary  to  look  after  the 
birds,  and  I  heartily  agree  with  you.^-C.  C. 
C.,  California. 

FROM  A  NEW  JERSEY  CUSTOMER. 
Anything  new  in  the  pigeon  line?  If  so, 
send  it  to  me.  I  am  raising  lots  of  squabs.  — 
F.  L.  B.,  New  Jersey. 


132 


NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


SQUAB     BUSINESS     A     SUCCESS.     My 

father  is  in  the  squab  business  in  a  town  in 
this  State.  His  business  is  a  success,  but  I 
would  like  to  have  him  give  your  birds  a 
trial  and  so  have  decided  to  make  him  a 
present  of  a  dozen. — H.  L.  T.,  Iowa. 

GOOD  WORDS  FROM  A  COMPETITOR. 

We  have  associated  your  splendid  achieve- 
ments and  capacity  with  our  dogged  deter- 
mination to  remain  in  to  the  death,  and  by 
elimination  have  differentiated  both  of  our 
establishments  from  the  pretentious  and 
ephemeral  plants  that  come  and  go.  We  are 
a  long  way  from  feeling  otherwise  than 
modest,  and  yet  we  realize  that  in  about 
eight  months  we  have  got  a  good  plant,  a 
good  stock,  a  good  name  and  a  good  trade, 
and  do  not  owe  a  dollar.  All  the  same,  this 
has  been  regretfully  on  our  sole,  unaided 
inexperience,  and  your  skill  has  been  a 
loadstar  of  hope,  suggesting  that  perhaps 
some  day  we  might  hit  upon  the  course 
which  you  have  taken  and  follow  it.  If 
this  business  shall  ever  be  trustified,  we 
shall  wish  to  be  near  you,  and  in  any  event 
we  have  nothing  but  desire  for  your  con- 
tinued brilliant  success,  and  that  we  shall 
be  worthy  compeers. — C.  F.,  New  York. 

WONDERFUL  FECUNDITY.  Here  is 
$3.84,  for  which  please  send  me  four  dozen 
wood  nappies  by  Barstow's  express.  My 
pigeons 
fine.  I 
have  now  C 
stole 

have  275.  I  have  400  or  500  hens  as  well  as 
the  pigeons. — N.  J.  G.,  Massachusetts. 


your  prices  on  grain  of  all  kinds?  My  birds 
are  doing  fine  now.  I  have  about  one  hundred 
birds  raised  from  the  ones  I  bought  of  you 
(twelve  pairs).  As  soon  as  I  get  started  in 
good  shape  I  shall  buy  more  breeders  from 
you.  I  have  not  sold  any  yet  as  I  have  been 
raising  them. — H.  A.  H.,  Massachusetts. 

OTHER  HOMERS  NOT  LIKE   OURS.     I 

enclose  my  check  for  $1.50  to  pay  for  leg  band 
outfit,  and  20  cents  additional  for  postage. 
My  birds  are  continuing  to  do  fine,  and  I  am 
more  pleased  than  ever  with  them.  I  was  out 
last  night  calling  on  a  man  who  claimed  to 
have  Homers.  They  looked  more  like  com- 
mon street  pigeons  than  my  Homers.  All 
these  things  tend  to  encourage  me,  when  peo- 
ple can  breed  such  birds  profitably.  I  know 
.•nine  will  show  up  much  better.  Please  give 
me  a  few  names  of  New  York  dealers  in 
squabs.— W.  M.  G.,  New  York. 

PERFECTLY  SATISFIED.  Pardon  me 
for  not  writing  before,  but  I  have  been  away 
from  home  since  the  birds  came,  until  within 
a  few  days.  I  am  perfectly  well  satisfied  with 
the  Homers  you  sent  me.  They  are  as  fine  a 


lot  of  birds  as  I  could  wish  to  see.  Half  ol 
them  are  nesting  now  and  I  think  that  they 
went  to  work  as  quickly  as  could  be  expected. 
We  have  taken  great  pains  to  make  their  house 
warm,  clean  and  convenient.  I  intended  to 
order  more  birds  before  this  time  but  have 
been  unable  owing  to  sickness  in  my  family. 
However,  as  soon  as  I  get  straightened  round 
again  I  intend  to  order  more  breeding  stock 
and  work  my  flock  up  to  150  pairs  as  soon  as 
possible. — L.  A.  C.,  New  Jersey. 

ENCOURAGED  TO  GO  ON  AFTER  EIGHT 
MONTHS'  TRIAL.  Kindly  quote  me  price  on 
leg  band  outfit.  I  have  lost  the  circular  which 
you  sent  me.  The  birds  I  got  from  you  last 
fall  (eight  months  ago)  are  doing  fine,  one  pair 
especially,  breeding  regularly  four  weeks.  I 
hope  to  have  larger  quarters  and  will  then 
place  order  for  more  birds. — F.  J.  G.,  New 
York. 

A  PLEASURE  TO  DO  BUSINESS  WITH 

US.  The  two  dozen  pairs  of  Extra  birds 
ordered  Thursday  night  arrived  Saturday 
morning.  It  certainly  is  a  pleasure  to  do 
business  with  you.  I  am  delighted  with  the 

Frompt  service  you  have  rendered,  for  which 
beg  to  thank  you.  The  birds  are  a  fine  lot, 
and  they  arrived  all  in  the  best  condition.  I 
am  convinced  that  you  make  a  special  thing  of 
each  order  sent  you.  Will  return  the  baskets 
tomorrow. — E.  S.  F.,  New  York. 

NEVER  SEEN  BETTER  PIGEONS.  Sev- 
eral men  who  have  seen  my  birds  have  said 
that  they  have  never  seen  a  healthier  or  finer 
lot  of  pigeons  anywhere.  The  reason  they  are 
in  such  healthy  condition  is  simply  this,  that 
I  have  followed  your  method  to  the  very 
letter,  and  hence  the  result. — E.  W.,  New 
York. 

SEVEN  MONTHS  OF  STEADY  INCREASE. 

In  May  last  I  bought  of  you  a  dozen  pairs  of 
Homer  pigeons  which  proved  a  great  success 
as  I  now  have  thirty  or  forty  young  birds  fly- 
ing at  large.  What  I  want  to  know  is,  can  I 
let  out  my  old  ones  ?  I  have  a  fine  large  flying 
pen  for  them,  but  if  you  think  they  will  stay 
with  me  if  I  give  them  their  freedom,  I  would 
like  to  do  so.  They  have  now  been  in  their 

Present  quarters  nearly  seven  months. — W.  L. 
.,  Maine. 

THANKS  FOR  EXTRA  HEN.  This  is  to 
advise  you  that  our  second  order  of  breeders 
was  received  on  the  morning  of  the  24th  in 
prime  condition.  We  wish  to  thank  you  both 
for  your  promptness  in  filling  our  order,  and 
also  for  the  extra  hen  sent  to  replace  the  sick 
one  of  our  first  lot. — W.  E.  M.,  Pennsylvania. 

NEVER  SEEN  LARGER,  FINER  OR  MORE 
VIGOROUS  BIRDS.  The  Homer  pigeons 
ordered  from  you  on  Saturday  last  arrived 
today,  Tuesdav,  about  noon,  apparently  in 
excellent  condition,  and  I  believe  I  have  never 


SUPPLEMENT 


133 


seen  larger,  finer  or  more  vigorous-looking 
birds.  Please  accept  thanks  for  your  careful 
consideration  and  quick  shipment.  For 
promptness  you  are  certainly  a  wonder. — J. 
H.  B..  Delaware. 

SHIPPED    IN   EXTRA   FINE    SHAPE.     I 

received  from  you  last  evening  at  7  o'clock  208 
birds,  all  alive  and  so  far  as  I  can  see  in  good 
condition.  This  morning  one  is  choked  and 
stupid,  but  I  think  will  come  out  all  right 
later.  I  am  very  grateful  for  the  extra  fine 
shape  in  which  you  crated,  labelled  and  fitted 
them  for  their  journey.  I  will  send  back  your 
baskets  this  date  all  in  fine  shape.  I  have 
received  everything  else  ordered,  all  in  fine 
condition. — J.  C.,  Long  Island,  New  York. 

SENT  HIS  FRIEND  TO  US.  Please  send 
me  a  pass  to  visit  your  plant  at  Melrose 
February  27,  and  one  for  Mr.  Burrows.  Mr. 
Burrows  intends  buying  birds  soon.  Mine 

Purchased  last  April  are  doing  nicely. — E.  L. 
..  Boston. 

HE    IS    RECOMMENDING    OUR    BIRDS. 

Enclosed  you  will  find  a  money  order  for 
which  please  send  me  wooden  nappies.  I 
would  like  to  have  them  as  soon  as  possible 
for  my  birds  are  beginning  to  lay.  I  was  over 
to  your  pigeon  plant  in  Melrose  and  bought 
a  few  pairs  and  I  think  that  they  are  the  real 
stuff.  They  are  doing  fine.  Please  send  me  a 
pass  for  two,  as  I  would  like  to  visit  your  plant 
again,  and  I  am  recommending  your  birds. — 
A.  L.  R.,  Massachusetts. 

STARTED  SMALL  AND  IS  NOW  CON- 
VINCED. Please  give  me  your  best  price  on 
100  pairs,  giving  an  estimate  of  the_  weight 
and  express  charges  on  same.  My  birds  are 
doing  finely.  All  young  birds  are  larger  than 
the  parent  birds  and  workers. — G.  C.  D., 
Michigan. 

THE  CHILDREN  ARE  BETTER  THAN 
THEIR  PARENTS.  I  have  forty-eight  birds 
raised  from  three  pairs  I  bought  of  you,  far 
ahead  in  looks  and  activity  o_f  those  you 
sent  me. — Mrs.  C.  L.  P.,  Connecticut. 

HAS  RAISED   SQUABS  TEN  YEARS.     I 

have  received  your  Manual  and  it  is  beyond 
my  expectations.  I  have  raised  squabs  for 
about  ten  years  from  common  pigeons. — J.  H. 
M.,  Pennsylvania. 

EXPERIMENT  A  SUCCESS.  My  husband 
is  going  into  the  business.  He  bought  some 
Homers  of  you  last  summer  and  intends  buying 
more. — Mrs.  G.  W.  P.,  Massachusetts. 

THEY  GROW  UP  IN  INDIANA  ALL  RIGHT 
I  now  (December  1,  1903)  have  over  eighty 
Homers  from  the  eight  pairs  I  purchased  from 
you  last  spring.  They  are  all  in  the  very  best 
of  condition.— R.  T.  M.,  Indiana. 


IN  FINE  SHAPE  ALL  THE  WAY  TO 
OREGON.  I  write  you  to  acknowledge  the 
receipt  of  the  birds.  They  arrived  on  the 
morning  of  November  18  and  were  turned  into 
their  new  quarters  on  the  19th,  and  I  guess 
they  were  very  glad  to  get  out  of  the  baskets 
and  stretch  their  wings  which  they  did  in  great 
shape  and  a  number  of  them  took  a  bath  as 
soon  as  it  was  presented  to  them.  They  all 
seem  to  be  in  fine  condition  after  their  long 
journey. — H.  J.  T.,  Oregon. 

GOOD    RESULTS   IN    SIX   WEEKS.     By 

actual  count  I  find  we  have  the  following 
results  today,  six  weeks  after  the  arrival  of  the 
pigeons:  Forty-two  pairs  of  squabs  and  sixty- 
seven  pairs  of  eggs  in  the  process  of  being 
hatched. — I.  B.,  New  Jersey. 

VERIFIED  STATEMENTS  AS  TO  COST 
OF  FEED.  My  little  experience  justifies 
the  statement  of  your  book  as  to  cost  of 
feed.  If  you  will  answer  my  query  as  to 
capacity  of  my  house  1  shall  greatly  appre- 
ciate the  courtesy. — F.  B.  S.,  Oregon. 

COMMON  PIGEONS  DO  NOT  PAY  FOR 
KEEP.  I  have  studied  squabs  for  two  years 
and  have  had  good  luck  with  them.  I  have 
read  your  book  and  think  it  is  good.  If  I 
had  a  price  list  I  would  get  some  Homers. 
I  have  always  had  good  luck,  but  common 
pigeons  do  not  pay  for  the  keeping. — H.  K., 
Michigan. 

AN     ALABAMA     BOY     PLEASED.     The 

birds  arrived  safely  on  the  24th  and  in  good 
condition.  We  think  they  are  a  very  nice 
lot  of  birds.  As  I  am  a  boy  of  only  fifteen 
years,  I  expect  to  follow  your  advice  given 
in  your  magazines,  and  would  appreciate 
any  further  advice  you  could  offer  me.  As 
I  have  a  little  more  money  on  hand,  I  may 
order  some  more  birds  soon.  Thank  you 
for  your  prompt  delivery. — W.  L.,  Alabama. 

THREE  HUNDRED  BIRDS  RAISED  IN 
LESS  THAN  ONE  YEAR  FROM  THIRTY- 
SIX  PAIRS.  Our  birds  shipped  by  you 
February  12,  1903  (thirty-six  pairs),  have 
done  very  well.  We  have  now  (January  12, 
1904),  over  three  hundred  and  they  are  lay- 
ing and  hatching  all  the  time.  We  are  going 
to  buy  some  more  before  very  long  and 
move  our  plant  out  onto  our  thirty-acre 
farm.  I  think  we  will  do  some  more  busi- 
ness with  you.  Please  give  us  the  name 
and  address  of  the  people  who  buy  pigeon 
manure.  We  have  some  to  sell. — S.  M.  M., 
Indiana. 

FIVE  DOLLARS  A  DOZEN  FOR  THE 
SQUABS  PROVE  THE  QUALITY  OF  OUR 
HOMERS.  I  wrote  you  the  first  of  the 
week  for  price  of  fifty  pairs  of  Homers  ready 
for  hatching.  Not  receiving  any  answer, 
I  think  you  did  not  get  the  letter.  Please 
give  me  figures  by  return  mail,  and  if  yoy 


134          NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


can  ship  at  once.  The  Homers  I  bought 
from  you  two  years  ago  are  doing  finely, 
also  those  I  hatched  from  them.  They  are 
very  large  and  handsome.  Shipped  some 
dressed  squabs  last  week  to  New  York  and 
they  returned  five  dollars  per  dozen,  which 
proves  the  quality  of  the  goods.  Hoping 
to  hear  from  you  soon. — A.  C.,  Connecticut. 

OUR   STOCK   THE   BEST  TO   BE   HAD. 

I  find  I  will  not  be  in  the  market  for  more 
birds  as  expected,  as  my  flock  is  in  good  shape, 
but  have  recommended  your  company  to 
several  prospective  purchasers.  Do  not 
know,  however,  what  result  this  will  bring. 
I  am  glad  to  say  that  I  have  every  confidence 
in  your  dealings,  as  I  am  much  pleased  with 
every  article  I  have  purchased  from  you 
from  time  to  time  and  will  not  hesitate  a 
moment  to  buy  stock  from  you  if  in  market 
for  same,  as  I  believe  your  stock  to  be  the 
best  that  can  be  had. — O.  C.  S.,  Michigan. 

.IN  FINE  CONDITION,  AND  PERFECT 
BEAUTIES.  Please  excuse  delay  in  ac- 
knowledging receipt  of  birds.  They  were 
delivered  to  me  in  fine  condition  and  cer- 
tainly are  perfect  beauties.  They  seem  to 
enjoy  their  new  quarters.  I  must  congrat- 
ulate you  on  your  promptness  in  shipping 
orders.  With  me  it  was  the  quickest  move 
I  have  ever  seen,  considering  the  distance. 
The  same  day  I  ordered  poultry  from  a 
breeder  in  Jamesbury,  New  Jersey.  Both 
letters  were  posted  late  Friday  afternoon. 
The  pigeons  arrived  Monday  morning  early, 
while  the  poultry  did  not  arrive  until  the 
following  Thursday.  I  was  much  surprised 
at  the  difference. — J.  H.  B,,  New  Jersey. 

KINDNESS     TO     A     BEGINNER.        We 

thank  you  for  the  kindness  you  have  shown 
us  in  our  inexperience. — F.  H.  W.,  New 
Hampshire. 

PLEASED     WITH     HER    INVESTMENT. 

Last  April  I  purchased  of  you  some  Homers. 
I  have  had  good  success  with  them  as  far 
as  the  laying  and  hatching  are  concerned, 
and  am  very  much  pleased  with  my  invest- 
ment.— Mrs.  L.  G.  S.,  Ohio. 

STOCK  TO  BE  RELIED  ON.  In  talking 
with  my  friend,  Mr.  C.  F.  Peters,  about  go- 
ing into  the  poultry  business,  he  advised  me 
to  write  to  you  about  the  squab  business, 
saying  he  knew  you  would  do  as  well  if  not 
better  by  me  than  anybody,  and  I  could 
rely  on  your  stock  and  what  you  might  wish 
to  tell  me  about  the  business.  I  have  read 
your  works  and  think  you  have  the  right 
idea  about  the  business. — C.  A.  G.,  Illinois. 

THREE  WEEKS  OLD  AND  WEIGHED 
OVER  A  POUND.  We  weighed  one  of  the 
first  pair  of  squabs  from  the  birds  bought 
of  you  when  it  was  just  three  weeks  old, 
and  it  held  the  scales  at  just  seventeen  (17) 


ounces.  Pretty  good,  was  it  not?  —  Mrs. 
E.  K.,  State  of  Washington. 

A  FINE  LOT  OF  BIRDS.  The  last  lot  of 
pigeons  which  I  ordered  from  you  were  re- 
ceived Monday  morning  in  splendid  condi- 
tion after  their  long  journey,  and  are  a  fine 
lot  of  birds.  I  will  send  you  in  a  few  days 
another  remittance,  in  addition  to  the  one 
already  sent. — J.  L.  Louisiana. 

SEES  THE  IMPORTANCE  OF  KNOWL- 
EDGE AND  GOOD  STOCK.  Just  read  your 
book  and  saw  how  foolish  we  were.  We  had 
seven  dozen  mixed  birds,  some  common  and 
some  Fantails,  and  some  Runts  and  Homers. 
We  were  ignorant  about  the  kind,  and  only 
had  about  eight  or  ten  squabs  in  six  months, 
so  we  sold  them  to  the  first  person  that 
came.  Now  I  would  like  to  start  fresh  again 
and  get  about  a  dozen  pairs  of  your  Homers. 
What  would  the  express  be  to  Alameda? 
Kindly  let  me  hear  from  vou  immediately, 
as  I  would  like  to  have  some  pigeons. — Mrs. 
M.,  California. 

DOING  BETTER  AS  HE  GETS  EX- 
PERIENCE. Enclosed  find  post-office  money 
order  for  which  please  send  me  leg  band 
outfit  and  extra  tubing.  From  the  twelve 
pairs  of  Homer  pigeons  I  bought  from  you 
about  May  1,  1903,  nine  months  ago,  I  have 
seventy-two  birds  all  told,  old  and  young, 
and  ten  pairs  setting.  According  to  this 
rate  I  ought  to  have,  I  think,  at  least  sixty 
pairs  by  May  1.  That  will  be  an  increase 
of  five  to  one.  I  have  lost  so  far  four  young 
birds  and  four  settings  of  eggs,  but  I  hope 
to  lessen  this  this  year. — E.  B.  G.,  North 
Carolina. 

PREFERS  OUR  HOMERS.  I  am  very 
proud  of  my  birds,  they  are  so  tame  and 
pretty.  I  can  get  Homers  around  here, 
but  I  would  rather  have  them  all  from  your 
place.  Please  send  at  your  earliest  con- 
venience.— Miss  B.  D.,  New  Jersey. 

NO   MORE    CHEAP    BIRDS    FOR    HIM. 

Herewith  I  enclose  fifty  cents  worth  of 
stamps,  being  in  payment  for  one  of  your 
Manuals.  In  May  last  I  started  in  the 
squab-raising  business  and  never  owned  a 
pigeon  before.  I  naturally  have  made 
some  few  mistakes,  both  in  building  a  house 
and  selecting  birds.  I  am  going  to  sell  out 
if  possible,  if  not  incurring  too  much  loss, 
which,  being  a  poor  man,  I  cannot  afford 
to  do,  and  if  successful  I  shall  buy  land  and 
build,  and  also  buy  the  best  birds  I  can  find, 
even  though  it  be  only  a  few  pairs.  I  now 
have  150  pairs  all  mated,  working  nicely, 
stove  in  house,  eight-pound  squabs,  seventy- 
five  cents  per  pair  Philadelphia  market.  As 
I  said  before,  I  am  poor,  but  not  a  cheap 
man.  I  want  the  best,  which  of  course  after 
giving  proper  food  and  attention,  I  should 
be  rewarded  both  in  stock  of  squabs  and 
prices. — S.  B.,  Pennsylvania. 


SUPPLEMENT 


135 


A     FRIEND'S     FLOCK     DOING     WELL. 

Enclosed  hnd  express  money  order.  I  am 
sure  you  will  send  the  best  birds.  I  find 
the  Manual  very  instructive.  Mr.  Connelley's 
flock  which  he  obtained  of  you  is  doing  fine. 
— C.  L.,  South  Carolina. 

STOCK    THE    FINEST    HE    HAS    SEEN. 

My  home  is  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  I  am  stopping 
in  this  city  (Atlanta,  Ga.),  temporarily.  It 
is  my  intention  to  establish  a  squab  plant  in 
the  vicinity  of  Buffalo.  I  have  been  to 

look  over  Mr.  s  plant,  which  is  very  fine, 

and  the  stock  is  the  finest  I  have  seen.  He 
informed  me  that  you  furnished  the  stock 
(five  hundred  pairs),  an  entire  equipment. 
My  present  intention  is  to  start  with  not 
less  than  300  pairs.— P.  H.,  Georgia. 

IN  FIRST-CLASS  CONDITION.  The  birds 
arrived  yesterday  in  first-class  condition,  all 
alive.  Thanks  for  the  extras.— R.  W.  B., 
State  of  Washington. 

A     NOVA      SCOTIA     CUSTOMER.    The 

Homers  arrived  safely  today,  and  I  am  very 
much  pleased  with  them.  They  are  a  fine  lot 
of  birds— J.  H.,  Nova  Scotia. 

KIND  AND  CORDIAL  METHODS.  Many 
thanks  for  your  kind  and  cordial  methods  of 
doing  business,  and  if  I  find  that  the  conditions 
here  are  suitable  to  squab  raising,  I  shall  be 
wanting  some  more  stock  before  long.  So  far 
I  am  very  well  pleased,  and  the  birds  you  sent 
are  certainly  well  worth  the  prices  you  quote. — 
D.  T.  S.,  Kentucky. 

CHICKEN  INDUSTRY  NEEDS  A  MAN- 
•  UAL  LIKE  OURS.  The  Manual  sent  me  is  the 
most  complete  and  concise  work  on  the  sub- 
ject of  squab  raising  I  have  ever  read.  I 
doubt  whether  there  is  a  book  written  on  any 
subject  of  its  kind  so  complete  in  all  its  detail. 
I  would  be  willing  to  give  most  anything  for  a 
like  account  of  how  to  succeed  with  chickens. 
If  you  know  of  any  such  work  I  would  con- 
sider it  a  personal  favor  if  you  would  kindly 
send  me  the  title  and  where  to  get  it.  I  am 
glad  to  have  in  my  possession  such  a  book  as 
the  Manual,  it  is  a  pleasure  to  read  it.  Of 
course  it's  business,  but  I  think  it  wonderful 
that  you  should  give  such  valuable  informa- 
tion to  the  public. — J.  H.  J.,  Pennsylvania. 

SAME  AS  YOU  SENT  BEFORE.  Enclosed 
you  will  find  $15  for  six  pairs  of  your  best 
breeding  Homers  that  breed  white  squabs, 
the  same  as  you  sent  before. — F.  P.,  Virginia. 

FROM  FIFTY  DOLLARS  TO  FIFTY  CENTS. 
Please  send  to  us  as  soon  as  possible  48  nap- 
pies. We  shall  want  48  of  your  Extra  Homers 
as  soon  as  these  nappies  reach  us,  and  if  con- 
ditions prove  favorable,  hope  to  buy  a  thou- 
sand birds.  I  think  there  must  be  money  in 
this  business.  I  wrote  a  squab  raiser  in  Iowa, 
asking  if  he  would  show  me  through  his  farm, 


and  he  replied  that  he  would  for  fifty  dollars. 
I  enclose  fifty  cents  for  a  National  Standard 
Squab  Book,  which  kindly  send  me. — A.  D., 
Minnesota. 

MAKING  MORE  MONEY  WITH  SQUABS. 

The  nappies  have  not  yet  come.  I  have  quit 
the  railroad  and  gone  into  the  squab  business. 
We  are  going  to  send  for  some  of  your  Homers 
soon  and  let  what  we  have  breed  with  a  few 
additions  occasionally  until  the  Homer  trade 
gets  rooted.  I  am  now  making  more  with 
pigeons  than  while  working  for  the  company, 
or  rather,  I  am  making  a  good  living  and  put- 
ting in  a  large  stock  of  pigeons. — S.  D.,  Texas. 

OUR  CLAIMS  PROVEN  TO  HIS  SATIS- 
FACTION. Last  February,  1903,  I  bought 
a  small  lot  of  adult  Homers  from  your  com- 
pany and  am  satisfied  they  are  all  you  claim 
for  them.  Being  desirous  of  getting  along 
faster  in  the  business,  I  have  advertised  for 
additional  capital  in  a  New  York  City  paper, 
and  have  had  nearly  two  dozen  inquiries  about 
the  industry. — A.  D.,  New  Jersey. 

A  HUSBAND  WAITS  FOR  THIS  YOUNG 
WOMAN.  November,  1902,  I  bought  twelve 
pairs  of  your  Homers;  now  I'm  sorry  to  say 
I  must  give  up  the  idea  of  the  squab  business, 
and  wish  to  know  if  you  care  to  buy  them  and 
what  you  will  pay.  I  have  ninety  birds,  and 
sold  some  last  summer.  I  think  your  birds 
have  done  very  well.  I  would  not  have  any- 
thing but  your  Plymouth  Rock  Homers. — Miss 
E.J.D.,  New  York. 

A  TEXAS  WOMAN  FINDS  THEM  EASY 
TO  RAISE.  I  have  now  (January  7,  1904), 
raised  one  hundred  from  those  I  bought  of  you 
(six  pairs  Extra  sold  December  11,  1902.)— 
Mrs.  R.  M.  H.,  Texas. 

ONE  HUNDRED  PAIRS  IN  MONTANA'S 
COLD  WEATHER.  The  squab  breeders 
arrived  here  all  safe  and  well  in  spite  of  the 
cold  snap  Monday  noon.  We  are  much 
pleased  with  the  flock.  Number  is  correct, 
208  birds  (only  two  casualties).  They  cer- 
tainly are  having  a  fine  initiation  to  Montana 
weather.  The  mercury  stood  thirty-two 
degrees  below  zero  last  night  and  has  been 
below  since  their  arrival. — W.  H.,  Montana. 

DEALERS  ADVISE  HIM  TO  BUY  OF  US. 

About  a  year  ago  I  bought  your  Manual  and 
plans  for  a  squab  house.  I  have  been  study- 
ing the  book  thoroughly  and  find  it  very 
complete  in  every  detail  and  "out  of  sight"  as 
compared  with  others  I  have  seen.  I  am 
compelled  to  move  to  Southern  California  and 
will  try  squab  raising.  What  discount  do 
you  give  on  300  pairs  of  your  best  birds?  I 
have  been  somewhat  used  to  stock  raising, 
including  poultry.  I  am  advised  by  dealers  in 
Los  Angeles  to  get  my  stock  from  Boston,  even 
at  the  expense  necessary.  While  no  names 
were  mentioned,  I  presume  they  referred  to 


136 


NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


you.- -W.  W.  D.,  Minnesota.  (Correct.  We 
have  shipped  to  California  within  the  past  few 
years  thousands  of  pairs  of  Homers  and  at  all 
places  in  California  where  squabs  are  sold  and 
eaten,  the  product  of  our  Homers  is  wanted 
because  they  are  the  best  in  the  market  there.) 

USES  THE  HEALTH  GRIT.  Please  send 
me  by  American  express  one  hundred  pounds 
Health  Grit,  for  which  find  $2  enclosed.  My 
pigeons  are  doing  finely  and  I  now  have  75  in 
addition  to  my  original  lot,  and  the  young 
ones  are  hatching  out  squabs. — W.  L.  J  , 
Maine. 

HE  IS  PLEASED  WITH  US  AND  OUR 
BIRDS.  I  am  so  much  pleased  with  the  birds 
I  got  from  you  and  the  bright  prospects  of  the 
squab  industry,  that  1  feel  interested  in  getting 
some  of  my  friends  started  in  squab  raising. 
The  last  shipment  of  squab  breeders  reached 
me  in  splendid  condition  and  are  very  fine 
birds.  I  am  very  much  pleased  with  the  selec- 
tion and  your  good  judgment.  All  your  stock, 
birds,  supplies  and  dealings  with  me  in  th»  past 
have  been  so  satisfactory  that  you  may  expect 
more  orders  from  me  and  my  friends  in  the 
future.  I  have  raised  and  sold  pigeons  and 
pet  stock  for  years,  so  of  course  am  capable  of 
judging  good  stock  when  I  see  it,  and  I  con- 
sider your  squab-breeding  Homers  the  best  that 
can  be  bred  for  successful  market  squab  breed- 
ing. Trusting  that  you  may  continue  to  have 
much  success  in  this  worthy  business. — L.  E. 
Virginia. 

THEY  EAT  OUT  OF  HER  HAND.  I  en- 
close money  order  for  more  nappies.  I  like 
my  pigeons  better  every  day.  They  are  so 
tame  now  they  will  eat  out  of  my  hand. — Miss 
L.  V.  P.,  New  York. 

THREE  MONTHS'  WORK.  We  are  going 
to  move  this  week  to  California.  The  six 
pairs  I  bought  of  you  in  March,  three  months 
ago,  have  all  nested  and  done  fine,  and  I  have 
raised  24  young  birds  from  them. — Mrs.  H.  B. 
S.,  Massachusetts. 

ALL    THE    WAY    TO    VANCOUVER.     I 

received  my  birds  on  June  8,  and  all  of  them 
were  in  fine  condition  except  one  hen,  which 
seems  to  be  a  little  stupid.  My  express 
charges  were  all  right.  Thank  you  for  the 
free  birds.  Hoping  that  I  will  be  able  to  send 
for  a  few  more  soon. — G.  A.  L.,  Vancouver. 

HAS  SEEN  HOW  OUR  BIRDS  WORK  IN 
HIS  TOWN.  I  am  sending  you  herewith 
money  order  for  $31.50.  for  which  please  send 
me  12  pairs  of  your  Extra  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers,  and  two  of  your  drinkers,  same  as  you 
Bent  me  before.  I  have  seen  two  different  lots 
of  your  Homers  in  this  citv,  and  although  I 
have  some  good  ones  that  are  rapid  breeders 
and  raise  large  squabs,  I  am  so  much  im- 
pressed with  the  work  that  Mr.  Barrett's  Homers 
(purchased  of  you)  are  doing,  that  I  have  gone 


to  work  and  fitted  up  two  more  breeding  pens 
to  accommodate  some  of  your  stock. — W.  H. 
M.,  Massachusetts. 

ALL  AT  WORK  IN  SIX  WEEKS.  Who- 
ever took  the  pah-  of  pigeons  from  the  basket 
must  have  been  an  expert  in  determining  the 
sex  and  mates,  as  every  one  of  them,  that  is, 
twelve  females,  have  eggs  and  are  setting. 
Don't  you  think  this  is  strong  evidence  that 
two  pigeons  never  were  taken  from  the  basket 
during  transit  ?  I  will  make  no  claim  against 
the  express  company.  I  feel  very  positive 
they  are  not  at  fault.  The  shipment  reached 
me  six  weeks  ago. — C.  S.,  Ohio. 

INCREASING    HIS    FLOCK.     The    twelve 

pairs  of  breeders  that  I  bought  from  you  last 
fall  are  beginning  to  lay  very  nicelv  and  I  am 
very  much  pleased  with  them.  Please  send 
me  six  more  pairs,  in  payment  for  which  you 
will  find  money  order  enclosed. — H.  W.,  New 
York. 

A  LARGE   SHIPMENT  TO  CALIFORNIA. 

I  received  all  the  birds  (312  pairs)  without  one 
being  dead,  and  the  lot  seems  to  be  in  splendid 
condition,  on  the  whole,  after  such  a  lung 
journey.  It  seems  wonderful  to  me  that  none 
were  dead  with  all  the  rough  handling  they 
must  have  received  on  such  a  long  journey. 
The  birds  are  beauties  and  attract  a  great  deal 
of  attention. — P.  W..  California. 

QUICK  WORK  HATCHING.  The  Homers 
I  got  of  you  are  doing  finely;  received  May  1, 
five  weeks  ago,  and  I  have  a  dozen  or  more 
squabs  from  the  dozen  pairs. — J.  P.,  New 
Jersey. 

FINEST  HE  EVER  SAW.  The  Extra 
Homers  arrived  today  in  first-class  shape,  and 
are  the  finest  I  ever  saw. — L.  C.  Y.,  Maryland. 

UNABLE  TO  FILL  ORDERS  FOR  HOM- 
ERS. The  writer  has  been  engaged  in  selling 
Homer  pigeons  for  squab  breeders  for  the  past 
several  months,  but  my  stock  is  now  almost 
completely  exhausted  and  I  am  unable  to  fill 
my  orders.  Have  just  received  an  order  from 
Hot  Springs,  Arkansas,  but  as  I  make  it  a  rule 
not  to  attempt  to  fill  orders  for  birds  which  I 
do  not  have  in  my  own  lofts,  have  declined 
the  order  and  referred  the  customer  to  your 
company.  He  wants  fifty  pairs,  and  would 
suggest  that  you  get  into  correspondence  with 
him.  Trusting  that  you  may  be  able  to  get 
the  business.— G.  C.  S.,  Ohio. 

OUR  PIGEONS  AT  THIS  LARGE  SHOW 
IN  1906  MADE  A  CLEAN  SWEEP  OF  THE 
PRIZES.  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co.,  Boston, 
Mass.  Gentlemen :  Pardon  the  delay  in  not 
answering  about  the  safe  arrival  of  the  birds. 
The  show  was  a  big  success  and  over  nine 
hundred  entries  were  registered.  I  had  a 
nice  coop  fixed  up  and  brought  the  entire 
flock  of  fourteen  birds.  They  behaved  fine 


SUPPLEMENT 


137 


and  did  not  mind  the  close  confinement  after 
the  hrst  day.  One  of  the  pairs  laid  two  eggs. 
My  flock  took  rirst,  second,  third  and  fourth 
prizes,  also  one  for  the  largest  flock  of  one 
exhibitor  (which  was  $3),  and  the  white  birds 
took  first  prize  over  three  other  pairs.  The 
judge  was  high  in  praise  of  the  birds  and  their 
markings.  1  understand  you  have  sold  some 
birds  to  Mr.  Marsh,  who  has  heard  about  my 
success  and  is  to  start  with  one  hundred  pairs. 
The  pigeons  sold  several  months  ago  to  a 
doctor  of  Warren  were  through  my  recom- 
mendation. Thanking  you  again  for  past 
favors,  I  remain,  etc.— Mrs.  R.  C.,  Pennsyl- 
vania. (The  pigeon  exhibition  to  which  she 
refers  was  held  in  February,  1906.) 

OFFERED  FIVE  DOLLARS  A  PAIR  FOR 
THE  BIRDS.  Pigeons  arrived  August  29 
in  good  condition  and  I  thank  you.  I  am 
well  pleased  with  the  birds;  they  are  the  finest 
flock  I  have  ever  seen.  The  teamster  who 
Drought  them  out  from  Seattle  informs  me  a 
man  on  the  way  offered  him  five  dollars  a  pair 
for  the  birds.  Had  I  been  with  him,  I  surely 
would  have  taken  him  up,  and  made  nearly 
$100  by  the  bargain.  You  may  expect 
another  order  from  me  in  a  month  or  six 
weeks  for  one  hundred  pairs,  and  then  I  shall 
have  enough  breeders  to  commence  with. — 
C.  C.,  State  of  Washington. 

(We  have  had  quite  a  number  of  letters 
similar  to  this  one,  and  from  other  informa- 
tion which  we  have  in  regard  to  the  Western 
market  for  breeders,  we  know  it  to  be  a 
remarkable  one.  Any  one  who  buys  our  fine 
birds  can  find  a  purchaser  who  is  willing  to 
pay  in  many  cases  much  more  than  the  dif- 
ference in  express  charges.  We  receive 
numerous  requests  from  wholesalers  who  wish 
to  sell  our  birds  in  their  territory,  but  we  sell 
all  the  birds  we  wish  to  at  retail,  to  .the  extent 
of  our  capacity,  at  one  price  to  all,  and  do  not 
supply  such  dealers.  We  are  shipping  at 
least  one  order  a  day  the  year  round  to  Cali- 
fornia or  the  State  of  Washington.) 

OUR  HOMERS  ARE  PRIZED  BY  FAN- 
CIERS AS  WELL  AS  SQUAB  BREEDERS. 
Our  Homers  sell  on  their  merits  as  squab 
breeders,  but  they  are  first-class  flyers,  able 
to  win  in  any  company.  At  the  New  York 
and  Chicago  National  Pigeon  Shows  in  Janu- 
ary, 1904,  in  competition  with  the_  whole 
country.  Homers  sold  by  us  and  exhibited  by 
our  customers  were  the  best  birds  there.  In 
awarding  the  first  prize,  New  York  show,  class 
of  Blue  Homer  Cocks,  the  judge  said :  ' '  Grand 
one;  the  best  bird  in  the  ring  today  to  my  way 
of  thinking.  He  is  a  large,  fine-colored  Homer 
with  almost  perfect  head,  broad  shoulders  and 
wedge-shaped  body,  nice  eye  and  fine  dark 
cere.  This  cock  also  won  the  cup  for  best 
Homer  shown,  and  this  honor  was  not  new  to 
him,  as  he  did  the  same  trick  at  Lawrence 
earlier  in  the  season." 

The  class  of  Blue  Checker  Cocks  at  the  New 
York  show  was  the  largest.  "A  finer  class  of 


Blue  Checker  Homers  we  have  never  seen," 

said  the  judge.  The  first  prize  hi  this  large 
class  was  awarded  a  Hcmer  from  our  coops 
exhibited  by  one  of  our  customers  with  the 
following  comment  by  the  judge:  "Grand- 
bodied,  up-standing  bird,  elegant  head  and  eye, 
with  the  most  perfect  checkering  I  ever  saw  on 
a  Homer,  but  for  being  a  trifle  light  (in  color) 
on  rump  he  would  be  hard  to  find  fault  with." 

In  awarding  the  first  prize  in  the  New  York 
show,  class  of  Blue  Hens,  to  a  hen  sold  by  us 
and  exhibited  by  one  of  our  customers,  the 
judge  said:  "This  class  outside  of  the  winner 
was  not  bang:up.  Good  blue  hens  are  scarce, 
but  the  first  bird  is  an  exception,  and  probably 
one  of  the  best  hens  going.  She  is  extra  large 
for  a  hen,  almost  over  the  limit  in  this  respect, 
but  she  is  built  on  the  correct  lines,  very  good 
color  and  smooth  type  of  head!.  She  would 
make  a  great  mate  for  the  first  cock." 

_In  the  fall  of  1903,  one  of  our  customers, 
with  a  Homer  cock  bought  of  us,  won  first 
prize  every  time  exhibited,  also  special  prize 
f or _ best  Homer  in  the  show,  every  time  exr 
hibited  at  the  pigeon  and  poultry  shows  at 
Taunton,  Brockton  and  Hartford. 

THIS  COMMISSION  FIRM  IN  NEW  YOP.X 
CITY  WANTS  ONE  THOUSAND  DOZEN 
SQUABS  DAILY,  PAYING  FROM  $4  TO  $6 
A  DOZEN  FOR  SQUABS  BRED  FROM  OUR 
BIRDS.  The  large  commission  houses  handle 
squabs  by  hundreds  of  dozens  daily  and 'firm? 
which  are  known  to  furnish  squabs  of  first- 
class  size  and  weight,  stich  as  our  birds  breed, 
get  more  orders  *han  they  can  fill.  We  re- 
ceived the  following  letter  in  January,  1904, 
from  a  well-known  commission  firm  in  New 
York  City  (whose  name  and  address  we  give 
to  customers  who  buy  breeding  stock  of  us)  : 
Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co.,  Boston,  Mass.: 

Gentlemen:  I  am  receiving  quite  a  few 
letters  from  time  to  time  from  the  different- 
customers  of  yours  that  are  starting  in  the 
squab  trade.  I  wish  if  you  see  or  write 
them,  that  you  would  advise  them  as  I 
have  done,  to  put  themselves  in  a  position 
to  ship  from  5  to  10  dozen  squabs  at  a  time, 
and  if  they  intend  to  make  a  business  of  it, 
they  mi^ht  as  well  buy  enough  breeders  in 
the  start,  so  as  to  be  able  to  ship  a  quantity 
at  a  time,  as  these  little  shipments  of  one  or 
two  dozen  hardly  pay  one  to  handle,  the 
expense  eating  up  the  commission.  I  have 
stated  to  them  before,  and  vou  can  also  tell 
them,  that  the  squab  trade  is  in  its  infancy, 
and  will  certainly  increase  from  time  to 
time,  and  we  are  in  a  position  to  handle 
daily  any  part  of  1000  dozen  squabs,  as  we 
have  a  big  outlet  to  place  them  promptly  at 
top  prices,  with  check  to  balance  same  day 
goods  are  received  and  sold.  For  the  pres- 
ent, and  until  further  notice,  we  quote  you 
market  as  follows:  Squabs  weighing  ten 
pounds  to  the  dozen,  $5.50  per  dozen;  nine 
pounds,  $5.25  per  dozen;  eight  pounds, 
$5  per  dozen;  seven  pounds,  $4  per  dozen; 
six  and  one-half  pounds,  $2.75  per  dozen; 


138 


NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


dark,  $2.10  per  dozen.     Would  like  to  have 
the   squabs  you  can  get.      In   case   you 


any  good  customers    that  are   starting 


in,  I  wish  you  would  send  me  a  complet 
list  of  that  trade,  so  that  I  can  write  to  them 
occasionally,  and  post  them  on  the  condition 
of  the  market. 

To  our  answer  we  received  the  following 
letter  from  the  above  firm : 
Plymouth   Rock    Squab   Co.,   Boston,    Mass.: 

Gentlemen:  Your  letter  of  the  1st  duly 
received,  and  I  am  glad  to  hear  from  you  so 
promptly.  I  have  received  quite  a  number 
of  letters  from  small  shippers  who,  judging 
by  the  way  they  write,  must  be  beginners, 
and  know  but  very  little  of  the  business.  I 
have  tried  to  make  things  as  plain  as  possible 
to  them,  and  encouraged  them  all  to  start 
in  and  increase  the  size  of  their  purchases 
from  you  to  such  an  extent  that  it  will  pay 
them  to  ship.  Of  course  we  are  obliged  to 
take  these  small  shipments,  and  encourage 
them  along  as  much  as  possible,  but  very 
often  after  we  have  got  a  man  started,  he 
would  have  made  a  pretty  fair  shipper,  but  • 
some  one  gets  hold  of  him  in  the  meantime 
and  makes  him  believe  that  he  can  do 
better  than  we  can,  which  is  one  reason  that 
I  object  to  helping  these  small  shippers  along. 
As  above  stated,  as  soon  as  they  get  started 
they  begin  switching  around,  and  the  man 
who  starts  them  has  very  little  for  his  trouble 
and  pains  of  putting  them  in  the  way  of  mak- 
ing money. 

I  wish  if  you  have  any  shippers'  addresses 
in  the  West  or  in  Wisconsin  (which  seems 
to  be  quite  a  squab  country)  and  also  in 
either  Illinois  or  Minnesota,  that  you  would 
send  them  to  me.  They  seem  to  be  doing 
pretty  well  in  that  section,  and  are  satisfied 
with  the  fair  prices  they  get  from  our  market. 


on  account  of  the  poor  prices  they  get  in 
Chicago,  or  elsewhere  nearer  home. 

At  the  present  tune,  squabs  are  very  scarce 
and  very  high.  We  are  even  returning  more 
money  thar  the  last  quotations  I  sent  you, 
in  order  to  get  enough  birds  to  supply  our 
trade.  So  if  you  can  put  me  in  the  way  of 
increasing  our  squab  supply,  I  would  greatly 
appreciate  it,  and  try  in  some  way  to  recip- 
rocate for  same.  Thank  you  for  the  infor- 
mation you  have  given  me  thus  far  in  regard 
to  shippers.  

Under  date   of  January  30,  1904,  we  have 
the  following  letter  from  a  commission  firm 
in  St.   Louis,  showing   that   the   demand   in 
that  section  is  becoming  extraordinary: 
Plymouth    Rock    Squab   Co.,    Boston,    Mass.: 

Gentlemen:  We  are  in  the  market  for 
s"quabs  and  if  you  have  any  customers  in 
this  vicinity  who  are  seeking  a  market  for 
their  squabs,  we  would  be  glad  to  be  placed 
in  correspondence  with  them.  We  will  pay 
the  highest  market  price  for  them,  and  feel 


them, 

we    will    render 


highest  market  pric 
confident  that  the  servic 
your  patrons  will  prove  advantageous  to 
you,  to  them  and  ourselves.  Please  let  us 
hear  from  you. 

We  do  not  give  the  addresses  of  these 
firms,  and  other  good  squab  buyers,  until 
we  have  sold  breeding  stock  to  the  cus- 
tomer. Commission  men  in  all  the  cities 
are  getting  letters  from  curiosity  seekers 
who  are  merely  "  looking  up  "  squabs  and 
to  such  letters  the  commission  men  pay 
scant  attention,  for  lack  of  time,  and  as 
there  is  no  money  in  it  for  them.  Any  one 
who  doubts  the  genuineness  of  the_  letters 
we  print  should  come  or  send  a  friend  tc 
our  Boston  office  to  see  the  originals. 


APPENDIX  A 


(Copyright,  1903,  by  Elmer  C.  Rice.) 


CALIFORNIA  MARKET.  The  California 
market  for  squabs  is  excellent,  especially  at 
the  invalid  resorts.  In  San  Francisco  it  is 
not  so  good  as  at  the  Southern  Coast  places 
frequented  by  rich  travelers.  We  print  the 
following  letter: 

Poultrymen's  Union  of  California,  413 
Front  Street,  San  Francisco  (January  28, 
'1903):  "Your  valued  favor  just  received 
and  in  reply  would  say  that  usually  the 
quotations  in  the  papers  are  close  to  being 
correct,  but  if  you  desire  to  call  and  see  us  at 
any  time,  we  will  give  you  exact  quotations. 
There  is  always  a  good  market  here  for  large, 
fat  squabs.  They  are  readily  selling  today  at 
$3  per  dozen." 

SUMMER  RESORT  MARKETS.  The 
pleasure  and  vacation  resorts  all  over  the 
country  are  good  squab  markets.  Maine 
squab  breeders  ship  to  Boston  in  the  winter 
but  in  the  summer  they  get  better  prices  at 
Bar  Harbor  and  elsewhere  along  the  coast. 
The  White  Mountain  resorts  in  New  Hamp- 
shire are  a  fine  summer  market,  also  the  re- 
sorts along  the  eastern  coast  of  Massachu- 
setts. Newport,  in  Rhode  Island,  is  a  good 
summer  squab  market.  Two  or  three  of  our 
customers  in  the  vicinity  of  Lenox,  Mass., 
and  in  North  Carolina  and  Florida,  are  quite 
enthusiastic  over  the  splendid  market  at 
their  doors.  Wherever  the  good  eaters  go, 
winter  or  summer,  there  is  the  demand  for 
squabs. 

HOSPITAL  TRADE.  A  woman  in  the 
State  of  Washington  wrote  us  that  two  big 
hospitals  in  a  city  near  her  had  offered  to 
take  all  the  squabs  she  could  supply.  She 
moved  out,  bought  a  farm  and  in  January, 
1903,  we  shipped  her  four  baskets.  Under 
date  of  February  7,  she  replied:  "  Please 
pardon  my  delay  in  acknowledging  the  re- 
ceipt of  the  shipment  of  fifty  pairs  Extra 
Mated  Homers  I  ordered  from  you.  I  have 
been  so  busy  with  them  that  I  have  not 
really  had  time  to  write.  Out  of  the  whole 
lot  there  was  only  one  dead  one,  which  sur- 
prised us."  (As  we  had  snipped  two  pairs 
more  than  the  order  called  for,  or  52  pairs 
altogether,  -the  customer  had  no  complaint.) 
"  The  birds  are  perfect  beauties  and  we  are 
greatly  pleased  with  them.  They  seem  to 
like  their  new  home.  Thanking  you  for 
your  kindness  and  with  best  wishes." 

The  hospital  trade  in  squabs  is  worth  cater- 
ing to,  for  they  are  such  a  delicacy  that  they 
are  greatly  esteemed  by  physicians.  There 
may  be  a  suggestion  in  this  for  you  if  you 
dc  not  care  to  deal  with  commission  men. 

BRANCHING  OUT.  We  have  put  some  of 
our  best  birds,  in  largest  orders,  for  3  00  to  1000 
pairs,  right  into  the  heart  of  the  squab  country 


around  Philadelphia,  showing  that  our  ideas 
and  our  birds  are  all  right.  On  February  9, 
1903,  we  received  the  following  letter  from 
Heacock  &  Kokanson,  architects,  of  Phila- 
delphia: 

"Enclosed  please  find  25  cents  for  a  plan  of 
your  style  of  squab  house.  Our  client  in- 
forms us  that  you  have  prints  showing  the 
details  of  house,  nests,  self-feeders,  etc.  We 
have  two  clients  who  have  been  making  some- 
what of  a  success  at  this  work  and  are  now 
ready  to  build  houses  with  every  essential  and 
practical  feature  necessary  to  make  a  success 
on  a  somewhat  larger  scale." 


SQUABS  IN  UTAH.  The  following  letter 
comes  to  us  from  James  A.  Hepburn,  Utah, 
dated  January  24,  1903: 

"Enclosed  find  check  for  $1.70  for  which 
please  send  me  postage  paid  your  leg-band 
outfit.  I  recently  received  your  book  on 
pigeons  and  although  I  have  been  breeding 
Homers  for  flying  for  a  long  time,  I  learned 
many  things  of  interest  to  me  from  the  book. 
I  intend  now  to  increase  my  flock  and  raise 
squabs  for  the  market  also.  I  find  I  can  sell 
all  I  can  supply  here  to  the  local  markets." 


SQUABS  NOT  GAME.  A  correspondent 
writes  us  that  she  does  not  think  she  can 
market  squabs  in  her  State  because  the  game 
laws  are  so  strict.  In  reply  we  wish  to  state 
that  squabs  are  not  game,  but  are  a  domestic 
product  same  as  chickens,  and  can  be  mar- 
keted in  any  State  or  Territory  at  any  time  of 
the  year  in  any  quantity  without  violating  the 
game  lawsi 

CHICAGO  MARKET.  The  Chicago  market 
for  squabs  is  fairly  good,  but  nowhere  near 
so  good  as  the  markets  of  New  York,  Phila- 
delphia and  Boston,  because  the  only  squabs 
obtainable  there  in  large  quantities  are  the 
inferior  squabs  of  common  pigeons.  We  have 
customers  in  Illinois  who  have  written  us 
that  their  fat  Homer  squabs  from  our  birds 
are  salable  at  prices  from  $1  to  $2  in  excess  of 
the  prices  quoted  by  the  Chicago  commission 
men.  The  Chicago  market  is  an  eager  one, 
and  the  dealers  are  imploring  squab  raisers  to 
sell,  saying  they  will  take  all  offered.  We 
advise  our  customers  in  the  Middle  West  to 
sell  their  squabs  to  the  private  trade  direct 
over  the  heads  of  the  Chicago  commission  men 
until  the  latter  advance  prices.  We  print 
herewith  some  letters  from  Chicago  commis- 
sion houses,  showing  that  they  want  them 
both  with  the  feathers  on  and  off,  depending 
on  the  dealer: 

C.  B.  Hayden.  Jr.,  &  Co.,  214  and  216  South 
Water  Street,  Chicago,  Illinois  (Jan.  26, 
1903)  :  "Your  favor  of  the  24th  inst.  at  hand 
and  in  reply  will  say,  fat  dressed  squabs  bring 


MATING  COOPS  IN  MATING  HOUSE. 

We  have  a  thousand  mating  coops  in  our  plant.     This  illustration  shows  how 
they  are  arranged  in  a  house,  several  tiers  high. 


140) 


APPENDIX  A 


141 


$2  to  $2.25  per  dozen.  We  handle  them  in 
any  quantities." 

Gallagher  Bros.,  191  South  Water  Street, 
Chicago,  I1L  (Jan.  26,  1903):  "We  have 
your  favor  of  the  24th  to  hand  and  noted. 
In  regard  to  handling  squabs  will  say,  we  are 
in  a  position  to  handle  any  quantity  to  good 
advantage.  We  are  now  getting  fancy  squabs 
from  Wisconsin,  which  are  selling  at  $2.50 
per  dozen,  about  seven  pounds  to  the  dozen." 

C.  H.  Weaver  &  Co.,  129  South  Water 
Street,  Chicago,  111.  (Jan.  29,  1903):  "Your 
favor  of  the  27th  received.  The  market  on 
squabs  is  $2.25  per  dozen  for  the  weights  you 
speak  of.  We  can  handle  all  that  you  will  be 
able  to  ship  us,  but  would  advise  making  a 
small  shipment  at  first,  so  that  we  will  get 
an  idea  of  your  stock  and  dressing." 

Theodore  C.  H.  Wegeforth  Co.,  133  South 
Water  Street,  Chicago,  111.  (Jan.  28,  1903): 
"In  reply  to  your  favor  requesting  us  to  quote 
you  prices  on  squabs  will  say  that  there  is  a 
very  good  demand  for  them  on  this  market  at 
present  and  when  fine  they  will  bring  from 
$2  to  $2.25  per  dozen  but  in  order  to  bring 
these  prices,  the  squabs  must  be  fat  and  weigh 
on  an  average  about  three-quarters  of  a 
pound  each,  and  for  such  there  is  a  ready  sale. 
If  you  have  any,  or  receiving,  you  can  safely 
ship  all  you  can  get." 

H.  R.  Waszko,  213  South  Water  Street, 
Chicago,  111.  (Jan.  29,  1903):  "In  reply  to 
your  letter  of  January  27,  we  wish  to  say  that 
we  can  handle  your  squabs,  in  fact  we  can 
place  any  amount  at  the  extreme  top  market 
price,  for  we  are  heavy  receivers  of  dressed 
squabs,  especially  from  South  Dakota  and 
Wisconsin.  Squabs  should  weigh  not  less 
than  six  or  seven  pounds  per  dozen.  Should 
be  dry-picked  as  the  trade  that  can  pay  fancy 
prices  want  them  No.  1,  and  we  quote  them 
firm  at  $2.50  per  dozen,  but  they  must  be 
fancy.  We  think  we  can  get  you  still  higher 
prices  but  we  can  tell  from  your  first  shipment 
to  us  just  where  we  can  place  them  and  what 
we  can  dp.  See  that  they  are  well  cooled  off 
before  shipping.  Trusting  that  you  will  favor 
us  with  a  good  shipment  as  soon  as  possible 
and  also  give  us  an  idea  of  how  many  you  can 
ship  us  daily  or  weekly." 

Peter  Britten  &  Sons,  2  and  4  Fulton  Street, 
Chicago,  111.  (Jan.  30,  1903) :  "There  is  no 
limit  to  the  amount  of  squabs  we  can  handle, 
as  we  have  inquiries  for  the  same  at  all  times. 
We  assure  you,  and  you  can  rely  on  us  to 
obtain  the  highest  possible  price  for  your 
stock  at  all  times." 

Cougle  Brothers,  178  South  Water  Street, 
Chicago,  111.  (Jan.  29,  1903):  "Replying  to 
your  favor  of  January  27  will  say  that  good 
fat  squabs  are  worth  from  $2  to  $2.50  per 
dozen.  We  can  handle  all  of  that  kind  you 
can  get.  The  best  way  to  ship  them  is  just  to 

E:ch  their  necks,  cool  thoroughly  and  pack 
a  box.     Do  not  bleed  them  nor  take  the 
thers  off.     We  hope  you  can  ship  us  some 
of  this  kind  of  squabs  as  we  need  them." 
F.   W.   Melges   &   Co.,    100   South   Water 


Street,   Chicago,  111.     (Jan.  28,   1903)'   "Re- 

plying  to  your  favor  of  the  27th  in  regard  to 
squabs  we  beg  to  say  that  there  is  a  wide  range 
of  prices  according  to  quality.  If  they  are 
fine  fat  birds  we  can  handle  advantageously  all 
you  can  ship  us.  We  shall  do  all  in  our  power 
to  obtain  the  very  top  price  for  same  at  all 

A.  Booth  &  Co.,  63-65  Lake  Street,  Chicago, 
111.  (Jan.  25,  1903):  "If  squabs  are  well 
dressed  and  weigh  eight  to  nine  pounds  to 
the  dozen,  we  can  use  them  at  $2.25  per  dozen 
f  .o.b.  Chicago." 

H.  G.  Lane,  buyer  for  the  Wellington  Hotel, 
Wabash  Avenue  and  Jackson  Boulevard, 
Chicago,  111.  (Feb.  2,  1903):  "In  reply  to 
yours  of  January  26  about  squabs  would  say 
that  we  are  buying  the  large  white  squab  you 
speak  of.  We  have  them  shipped  with  the 
feathers  on  and  market  price  for  the  best 
squab  is  $2.75  to  $3.00  per  dozen." 

William  H.  Taylor  Co.,  156  and  158  South 
Water  Street,  Chicago,  111.  (Feb.  4,  1903): 
"Your  letter  at  hand  in  regard  to  squabs. 
Would  say  we  could  use  all  your  squabs  you 
can  ship.  We  would  just  as  soon  have  them 
with  the  feathers  on  as  off.  We  can  offer  you 
$2.50  now  for  good  stock.  Should  at  any 
time  market  do  better,  we  should  certainly 
give  it  to  you.  Please  let  us  know  how  soon 
you  can  ship  and  how  many  each  week.  We 
have  the  trade  for  them  and  can  do  as  well  as 
any  one  for  you." 

Herman  Weber  Co.,  Inc.,  Union  Hotel  and 
Restaurant,  111-117  Randolph  Street,  Chicago, 
111.  (Feb.  3,  1903):  "Your  favor  of  the  1st 
to  hand.  I  am  buying  squabs  fresh  in  the 
market  all  the  time  and  am  paying  $3  per 
dozen  for  same.  You  can  bring  in  two  dozen 
of  your  squabs  and  if  satisfactory  will  buy 
same  of  you  right  along." 

The  letter  last  quoted  above,  that  from 
Herman  Weber,  is  an  indication  of  what  the 
consumer  in  Chicago  is  paying  for  inferior 
squabs.  It  rests  with  you  whether  you  will  be 
satisfied  with  breeding  a  product  which  com- 
mands a  price  of  $2  to  $3  a  dozen,  o  •  $3  to  $6. 
If  you  put  squabs  weighing  ten  pounds  a  dozen 
and  over  into  the  Chicago  market,  you  can  get 
from  $3  to  $6  a  dozen. 

NEW  YORK  MARKET.  In  the  first  part 
of  January,  1903,  we  received  th  following 
letter  from  the  manager  of  the  squab  depart- 
ment of  a  commission  house  in  Washington 
Market,  New  York  city: 

"  Your  name  and  address  as  raisers  of 
fancy  squabs  was  given  me  by  Mr.  Howes  of 
Detroit,  Michigan,  who  was  over  to  your 
place  a  few  days  ago.  As  I  have  heard  of 
your  plant  before  and  have  tried  to  get  your  • 
address  so  as  to  write  to  you  for  squabs,  I 
hope  this  letter  will  mean  some  business  for 
us  b  jth.  If  you  have  any  squabs  to  ship,  I 
would  like  to  get  your  output,  and  can  use  all 
you  can  ship  at  full  market,  and  make  vou 
prompt  returns  day  received  and  sold.  This 
week  I  am  returning  the  following  prices: 


INTERIOR  OF  MATING  HOUSE. 

This  shows  mating  coops  in  use  in  one  of  our  mating  houses.    This  house  is 
heated  by  hot  water. 


142 


APPENDIX   A 


143 


Squabs  weighing  ten  pounds  to  dozen  and 
up,  $4.50  per  dozen;  eight  pounds  and  up, 
$4:  seven  pounds  and  up,  $3.50;  six  and  one- 
half  pounds  and  up,  $2.60;  dark,  $1.80  per 
dozen.  If  you  will  prepay  charges,  account 
of  sales  will  be  sent  you  same  day  goods  are 
received,  less  five  per  cent  commission." 

Letters  like  the  above  come  to  us  from  all 
parts  of  the  country,  and  squab  breeders 
whom  we  have  supplied  get  similar  communi- 
cations. The  poultry  and  game  dealers  in  all 
sections  are  after  squabs  all  the  time  and 
could  sell  a  great  many  more  than  they  are 
now  able  to  get  hold  of.  The  above  letter  is 
written  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  in  New 
Jersey  and  Eastern  Pennsylvania  alone  are 
today  four  or  five  thousand  squab  breeders, 
many  of  them  with  large  flocks  of  over  one 
thousand  pairs  of  birds  each.  In  the  town 
of  Moorestown,  New  Jersey,  to  take  only  one 
case,  are  from  200  to  300  squab  breeders.  As 
we  say  in  our  Manual,  people  in  these  sec- 
tions keep  hens  for  their  own  use,  but  not  for 
market,  for  they  know  that  squabs  pay  bet- 
ter than  hens.  Poultrymen  in  other  sections 
of  the  United  States  are  fast  finding  this  out 
and  are  putting  in  squabs  along  with  poultry, 
or  giving  up  poultry  altogether.  In  spite  of 
the  large  output  of  squabs  from  the  4,000  to 
5,000  breeders  in  New  Jersey  and  Eastern 
Pennsylvania,  which  go  into  the  Philadel- 
phia and  New  York  and  Boston  markets 
(for  the  squab  raisers  in  New  England  sup- 
ply only  about  one-tenth  of  the  Boston  de- 
mand), there  is  all  the  time  a  scarcity  of 
squabs,  as  the  above  letter  proves.  This 
letter  comes  to  us  because  we  have  the  repu- 
tation for  dealing  in  a  fancy  product.  There 
are  breeders  of  squabs  who  send  to  market  an 
inferior  product  from  small  and  cheap  Hom- 
ers, and  such  squabs  are  not  the  kind  which 
dealers  are  anxious  to  get.  Be  sure  you  are 
able  to  breed  a  fancy  squab  by  getting  your 
breeding  stock  of  us.  Some  beginners  are 
anxious  as  to  express  rates,  not  compre- 
hending that  they  can  ship  squabs  long  dis- 
tances at  a  trifling  cost.  The  express  rate 
from  Boston  to  New  York  is  $1  per  100 
pounds.  This  means  that  an  express  team 
will  call  at  our  door,  get  a  box  of  squabs 
weighing  100  pounds,  transport  it  to  New 
York,  and  in  that  city  deliver  it  by  team  to 
the  commission  dealer  for  $1.'  In  the  case 
of  a  box  of  our  squabs  weighing  twelve 
pounds  to  the  dozen,  about  eight  dozen  and 
the  box  would  weigh  100  pounds.  If  we  de- 
livered them  in  New  York  at  the  price  quoted, 
$4.50  per  dozen  (or  $36  gross),  we  would  net, 
deducting  his  five  per  cent  commission  and 
the  $1  express  charges,  $33.20.  The  com- 
mission man  would  resell  the  squabs  to  his 
trade  for  $5  to  $8  per  dozen.  By  a  dozen 
squabs  we  mean  in  this  case  and  in  all  cases 
where  prices  are  quoted,  twelve  squabs.  We 
do  not  mean  one  dozen  pairs  of  squabs.  We 
mean  six  pairs  of  squabs.  Squabs  are  always 
quoted  at  so  much  per  dozen,  not  so  much 
per  dozen  pairs. 


On  January  8,  1903,  the  New  York  squab 
buyer  above  quoted  offered  the  following 
prices  for  squabs:  For  squabs  weighing  ten 
pounds  to  the  dozen  and  up,  $4.75;  eight 
pounds  and  up,  $4.50;  seven  pounds  and  up, 
$3.60;  six  and  one-half  pounds,  $2.75;  dark 
and  No.  2  squabs,  $2. 

On  January  25th,  1903,  he  offered  the  fol- 
lowing prices:  Ten  pounds  and  up,  $5.50  per 
dozen;  eight  pounds  and  up,  $5.00  per  dozen; 
seven  pounds  and  up,  $4 ;  six  and  one-half 
pounds,  $3;  dark  and  No.  2  squabs,  $2.10. 

On  February  6,  1903,  he  offered  us  the 
same  prices  as  last  quoted,  adding  that  he 
would  pay  $3  to  $3.75  per  dozen  for  squabs 
of  average  weight  and  grade.  In  this  letter 
he  said:  "As  I  have  been  getting  quite  a 
few  letters  from  some  of  your  squab  customers 
of  late,  I  want  to  thank  you  for  same,  and 
hope  to  get  some  of  their  birds  and  prove  to 
their  satisfaction  by  the  prices  large,  fine 
birds  will  sell  at,  that  squab  raising  if  prop- 
erly carried  on  is  a  very  profitable  and  pay- 
ing industry.  The  demand  for  squabs  is  on 
the  increase  and  will  be  from  now  on,  as  the 
game  laws  of  all  the  States  are  such  as  to 
prevent  much  small  game  from  reaching 
the  several  markets,  where  there  has  been  a 
big  supply  of  such  at  low  prices  that  squabs 
will  now  take  their  place,  so  that  new  be- 
ginners have  nothing  to  fear  from  a  glut  by 
over-production  of  good-sized  squabs.  This 
we  have  proven  to  our  own  satisfaction  when 
we  introduced  the  large  or  royal  squab  to  our 
best  hotel  and  cafe  trade  in  this  market,  dur- 
ing the  past  season,  and  it  now  looks  as 
though  our  demand  will  be  greater  this  com- 
ing season.  The  buyers  of  these  large  birds 
see  they  are  worth  the  difference  in  price, 
that  they  have  a  better  call  for  them  once 
they  introduce  them  to  the  consumer.  En- 
courage all  your  buyers  to  invest  in  birds 
that  produce  large,  plump  squabs.  It  will 
pay  them  best  in  the  end  and  make  a  better 
demand  for  their  grade  of  birds." 

On  February  16,  1903,  he  offered  us  the 
following  prices:  Squabs  weighing  ten  pounds 
to  the  dozen  and  up,  $6  per  dozen;  nine  pounds, 
$5.50  per  dozen;  eight  pounds,  $5  per  dozen; 
seven  pounds,  $4  per  dozen;  six  and  one-half 
pounds,  $3  per  dozen;  dark,  $2.10  per  dozen. 

The  above  quotations  are  a  good  indica- 
tion of  what  the  New  York  market  for  squabs 
is. 

One  of  the  practical  ways  we  have  of  help- 
ing our  customers  is  to  refer  them  to  such 
first-class  buyers  of  squabs  as  the  firm  above 
quoted.  We  will  give  the  address  of  the 
above  New  York  firm  to  you  when  you  buy 
breeding  stock  of  us. 

SCRANTON  MARKET.  The  following  let- 
ter is  from  Chandler  and  Short,  commission 
merchants,  15  Lackawanna  Avenue,  Scran- 
ton,  Penn.,  dated  February  15,  1903:  "We 
have  yours  in  regard  to  squabs.  They  are 
worth  from  $2.75  to  $3  per  dozen,  dressed, 
on  our  market.  Whatever  you  ship,  we  will 


144          NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


endeavor  to  get  the  very  highest  market 
prices  for.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  have  the 
feathers  picked  off." 

CLEVELAND  MARKET.  The  steward's 
department  of  the  Union  Club,  158  Euclid 
Avenue,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  sends  the  following 
letter  under  date  of  February  13,  1903:  "  I 
am  in  receipt  of  your  letter  of  yesterday  and 
beg  to  say  regarding  your  questions  about 
squabs,  that  they  are  worth  to  us  from  $3  to 
$3.50  per  dozen  for  the  best  and  largest 
squabs  either  dressed  or  in  the  feather." 

W.  H.  Bennett,  proprietor  of  Oyster  Ocean 
Cafe,  368  Superior  Street,  Cleveland,  Ohio 
(February  12,  1903):  "  I  use  about  one  and 
one-half  dozen  squabs  a  week.  Price  averages 
$3  per  dozen  the  vear  through." 

W.  H.  Seager,  Sheriff  Street  Market,  Cleve- 
land, Ohio  (Feb.  12,  1903):  "I  purchase 
squabs  when  offered  in  this  market  and  have 
sent  to  California  for  them  on  special  occa- 
sions. The  market  price  varies  from  $2.40 
to  $4  per  dozen." 

Gibson  Pinkett  Company,  Fulton  Market, 
21-25  Prospect  Street,  Cleveland,  Ohio  (Feb. 
12,  1903):  "We  buy  squabs  and  pay  what 
they  are  worth.  Price  runs  from  $2.50  to  $4 
per  dozen.  We  could  use  fifty  dozen  or  more 
today." 

KANSAS  CITY  MARKET.  The  market  for 
squabs  here  is  steadily  improving.  Here  are 
some  letters  bearing  on  the  subject: 

From  James  R.  Peden  &  Co.,  404  Walnut 
Street,  Kansas  City,  Mo.  (Jan.  26,  1903): 
"  Send  your  squabs  to  me.  I  have  good, 
steady  demand  for  them  and  will  take  all 
you  can  otter.  •  Top  prices  paid,  or  handled 
on  commission."  (Mr.  Peden  ships  squabs 
to  New  York  City  and  other  points  east.) 

W.  M.  Woods,  Produce  Company,  stalls  12 
and  13  west  side,  City  Market,  Kansas  City, 
Mo.  (Jan.  26,  1903) :  "  The  market  for  squabs 
is  good.  Prices  range  from  $1  to  $1.50  for 
common  stock  and  from  $1.80  to  $2  and  $2.25 
for  fancy.  I  am  sure  you  will  find  a  market 
for  your  squabs  and  if  they  come  up  to  the 
mark  you  have  set  for  them,  will  command 
a  much  better  price.  Kansas  City  market 
for  squabs  is  growing.  I  will  take  your 
squabs  at  market  price  day  received." 

C.  T.  Wiggins,  East  entrance  City  Market, 
Kansas  City,  Mo.  (Jan.  26,  1903):  "It  is 
only  a  question  of  how  many  you  can  supply. 
I  can  handle  all  the  squabs  you  will  offer  and 
will  pay_  you  good  prices  for  them.  The 
demand  is  strong  and  increasing.  Hope  you 
will  soon  make  a  start  with  me." 

George  O.  Relf,  steward,  Midland  Hotel, 
Kansas  City,  Mo.  (Jan.  27,  1903):  "We  can 
use  squabs  almost  any  time  at  $2.75  per  dozen. 
If  you  have  some  now  we  will  take  one  or  two 
dozen  and  if  O.  K.  will  very  likely  use  them 
right  along." 

Ewins-Dean  Hotel  Co.,  proprietors  Hotel 
Metropole  (St.  Joseph,  Mo.)  and  Hotel  Balti- 
more (Kansas  City,  Mo.)  (Jan.  30,  1903): 


"Kindly  quote  me  prices  on  squabs  by  the 
dozen.  I  have  been  using  about  two  hundred 
per  month  and  expect  to  use  more.  If  your 
prices  are  right  you  will  hear  from  me  in  a  few 
days."  (Signed)  E.  G.  Venable,  steward. 

E.  Klidey,  the  New  Coates  House,  Kansas 
City,  Mo.  (Jan.  29,  1903):  "We  are  using  a 
few  squabs  which  we  buy  from  the  commis- 
sion men  here  at  $2.50  per  dozen.  Let  me 
know  what  price  you  want  for  yours  and  we 
may  be  able  to  use  eight  or  ten  dozen  a  week." 

D.  P.  Ritchie,  steward  Hotel  Baltimore, 
Kansas  City,  Mo.  (Feb.  6,  1903):  "Youi 
favor  of  January  27  received.  We  pay  $2.75 
per  dozen  for  fancy  squabs  delivered,  with 
feathers  on." 

OUR  PIGEONS  GOING  AROUND  CAPE 
HORN.  We  have  sent  our  breeding  stock 
about  everywhere,  but  one  of  the  most  curious 
orders  we  ever  had  is  from  Captain  Lane  of  the 
ship  Kennebec,  which  arrived  in  Boston  in 
November,  1902,  from  Seattle,  with  a  cargo  of 
lumber.  At  this  writing  (Feb.  18,  1903), 
Captain  Lane  is  making  arrangements  with  us 
to  supply  him  with  a  breeding  outfit  of  our 
Homers,  which  he  will  instal  on  his  ship  so 
that  on  his  long  return  voyage  to  San  Fran- 
cisco (or  Seattle)  he  will  have  fresh  squab  meat 
regularly.  Captain  Lane  is  part  owner  of  his 
big  ship  and  is  accompanied  by  his  wife  and 
young  son.  He  has  visited  our  place  and 
knows  about  our  birds  and  our  methods. 

SQUABS  IN  NEW  MEXICO.  Here  in  the 
East  we  would  not  look  upon  New  Mexico  as 
a  fancy  market  for  squabs,  but  here  is  a  letter 
from  a  customer  in  Albemarle,  New  Mexico, 
which  proves  that  he  is  getting  interested 
(Jan.  29,  1903) :  "The  pigeons  you  sent  me  on 
the  20th  were  received  yesterday  in  excellent 
condition,  and  am  well  pleased  with  them. 
•Please  find  enclosed  a  money  order  for  thirty 
dollars,  for  which  send  me  twelve  more  pairs 
of  your  Extra  mated  thoroughbred  adult 
pigeons.  Ship  as  before  by  Wells-Fargo 
express." 

SOUTHERN  MARKET.  Our  breeding 
stock  has  gone  to  every  State  in  the  South. 
If  you  live  in  any  part  of  the  South,  you  can 
market  squabs  as  readily  as  poultry  is  mar- 
keted. One  o'f  our  Southern  customers,  whc  • 
lives  in  Citronelle,  Alabama,  has  been  to  Bos, 
ton  to  see  us.  Under  date  of  January  30, 
1903,  he  writes:  "I  have  received  Homers 
from  two  others,  but  they  do  not  compare  with 
yours.  I  will  build  my  second  house  very  soon 
as  the  first  one  is  filling  up  fast." 

LONG    DISTANCE    SHIPMENTS.     To    all 

inquirers  we  wish  to  state  again  emphatically 
that  we  certainly  do  guarantee  the  safe  arrival 
of  every  bird,  no  matter  in  what  part  of  the 
world  you  live.  We  are  learning  all  the  time 
how  to  handle  the  long  distance  shipments 
best  and  experience  has  taught  us  little 
wrinkles  about  the  baskets  and  the  arrange- 


APPENDIX  A 


145 


merits  of  the  feed  and  water  dishes,  which  are 
valuable.  The  express  messengers  get  their 
instructions  not  from  guesswork  or  from 
written  notices  or  tags,  but  from  a  board  a 
foot  square  on  which  is  printed  in  bold  type 
the  necessary  directions.  This  winter  (1903) 
we  have  shipped  every  week  to  California. 
One  order  of  200  pairs  for  Santa  Ana,  Cali- 
fornia, filled  seventeen  baskets.  Of  the  400 
birds,  only  one  turned  up  dead,  but  as  we  had 
sent  along  four  more  pairs  than  the  order 
called  for,  we  were  seven  birds  ahead  on  the 
count.  Another  large  shipment  to  San  Rafael, 
California,  in  January,  1903,  brought  back  by 
return  mail  the  following  letter,  which  we 
print  exactly  as  we  got  it,  word  for  word,  %nd 
altogether  it  is  one  of  the  best  recommenda- 
tions for  us  to  people  who  live  at  a  distance 
that  we  ever  received : 

"Yesterday  a.m.  (January  20)  at  8.30  we 
received  your  letter  advising  us  of  the  ship- 
ment of  100  pairs  of  Extra  Mated  Homers,  on 
January  14;  advising  also  that  the  pigeons 
would  reach  us  before  the  letter.  Well,  they 
did  not  arrive  until  4.30  today,  January  21  (7) 
seven  days  on  the  road.  We  notice  that  seven 
days  are  also  required  to  get  your  shipments  to 
Los  Angeles;  and  when  you  assume  that  they 
will  reach  here  at  or  before  the  receipt  of  no- 
tice of  shipment  we  think  you  are  mistaken. 
Nevertheless,  be  this  as  it  may,  the  birds 
reached  us  tonight  at  5.30,  every  bird  in  first- 
class  shape — every  individual  one  being  in  first- 
class  shape;  giving  evidence  of  being  shipped 
*n  perfect  condition  and  having  plenty  of  feed 
and  water  en  route.  Your  feed  ran  short,  as 
&v\r  ;nced  by  charges  of  40  cents  made  by 
express  company  for  feed  provided  by  them, 
which  we  are  only  too  glad  to  pay,  and  at 
same  time  shows  care  and  attention  of  express 
company  messengers — a  good  fault.  Every 
bird  in  the  lot  is  bright  and  active,  and  they 
come -into  a  first-class  home,  a  fine  house  and 
flying  pen,  plenty  of  feed  and  a  galvanized  iron 
pan  6  inches  deep  with  water  4  inches  deep 
running  constantly.  Dimensions  of  pan,  4 
feet  6  inches  by  2  feet  10  inches,  guarantee- 
ing plenty  of  bathing  facilities.  They  were 
liberated  after  dark,  but  the  early  morning 
v/ill  afford  all  the  bathing  facilities  they  will 
need,  and  we  prophesy  they  will  embrace  the 
opportunities  afforded  at  first  opportunity. 
We  wish  to  compliment  you  on  your  prompt 
methods  of  doing  business,  and  on  the  superior- 
ity of  the  birds  shipped  us.  They  were  indeed 
high-class  birds,  in  fact,  Mr.  Rice,  they  are 
better  stock  than  we  expected  to  receive.  Your 
sending  us  four  extra  pairs  above  order  was  a 
graceful  act  on  your  part,  one  which  we  fully 
appreciate,  and  thank  you  right  here  for  it. 
Your  shipment  was  nearly  a  week  before  we 
expected  it  "  '.t  by  extra  exertion  we  got  all 
ready  in  time  and  they  have  a  fine  home. 
Express  charges  at  $14  per  hundred  Boston 
to  San  Rafael,  270  pounds  weight  of  shipment, 
amounted  to  $37.80  plus  40  cents  for  feed, 
$38.20  total,  at  merchandise  rate.  Still  at 
rate  given  in  your  circular  $4  for  24  birds  (12 


pairs) ,  this  is  too  much  by  a  margin.  $4  rate 
to  San  Francisco  per  12  pairs  is  not  just  cor- 
rect, still  we  are  not  kicking,  for  the  difference 
is  not  very  much.  Note  this,  201  birds  came 
out  of  those  baskets.  Now  we  are  sure,  abso- 
lutely sure  of  the  count.  Two  people  kept 
count  as  each  bird  was  liberated  and  201  birds 
came  out  of  the  crates.  If  100  pairs  are 
mated,  what  will  we  do  for  that  poor  lone 
bird  ?  We  wait  for  suggestions ;  pretty 
tough  on  that  lone  bird,  3500  miles  from  home, 
but  he  or  she  is  here  sure.  In  conclusion  we 
thank  you  for  your  promptness,  your  honesty 
and  your  fair,  square  dealing  and  will  keep 
you  posted  as  to  our  progress  as  per  your  sug- 
gestion. We  thank  you  for  the  crates;  they 
are  fine.  We  wrote  you  yesterday  and  look 
for  reply  in  accordance  with  your  usual 
promptness." 

We  sent  the  above  letter  to  Mr.  R.  H. 
Dwight,  agent  for  the  Wells-Fargo  Express 
Company  in  Boston,  and  he  was  quite  as 
pleased  as  we  were.  Through  Mr.  Dwight's 
co-operation  our  through  western  shipments 
by  the  Wells-Fargo  have  been  a  remarkable 
success.  The  only  difficulty  we  have  ever 
had  on  account  of  long-distance  trade  came 
when  we  were  shipping  in  crates,  not  baskets. 
We  sent  a  large  order  into  San  Francisco  and 
on  the  way  four  of  the  crates  were  broken  into 
by  rough  handling  and  forty-two  birds  got 
away.  The  Wells-Fargo  Express  Company 
settled  with  us  for  the  loss  of  those  birds  and 
we  made  good  to  the  customer,  sending  the 
missing  birds  on,  and  the  customer  was  out 
not  a  cent  for  further  express  charges,  for  the 
Wells-Fargo  people  carried  the  birds  dead- 
head. 

The  baskets  in  which  we  now  ship  cannot 
be  broken  open  except  with  the  aid  of  an  axe 
and  they  can  be  thrown  ten  feet  across  a 
depot  platform  without  being  injured. 

There  is  a  minor  criticism  in  the  above 
letter  in  the  ma"  er  of  express  charges.  Ac- 
cording to  the  figures  which  we  give  in  the 
circular  headed  "  Express  Rates,"  the  cus- 
tomer should  have  been  asked  to  pay  about 
$33,  instead  of  $37,  as  he  did  pay.  We  be- 
lieve the  figures  which  we  give  to  be  correct 
in  every  case — the  slight  variation  which 
may  come  as  it  came  in  this  case  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  no  two  persons  will  weigh  up 
the  same  lot  of  goods  exactly  the  same,  and 
that,  of  course,  the  birds  vary  in  weight. 
The  weight  when  the  shipment  starts  is  less 
than  when  it  finishes,  because  at  the  end 
the  bottoms  of  the  baskets  are  covered  with 
manure.  (The  grain  which  we  send  for  feed 
is  not  weighed  in  and  charged  for  transpor- 
tation.) If  the  waybill  is  lost  or  delayed, 
and  the  agent  at  destination  weighs  the  m 
shipment,  he  will  get  a  greater  weight,  and 
consequently  a  higher  rate,  than  the  express 
employee  who  weighed  the  shipment  here  in 
Boston. 

We  wish  to  say  further  that  if  you  think 
we  have  figured  the  express  rates  to  you  too 
low,  send  us  money  which  we  claim  to  be 


146 


APPENDIX  A 


147 


correct  and  we  will  prepay  all  charges,  thus 
putting  on  ourselves  and  not  on  you  the  dif- 
ference, if  there  is  any. 

COMMON    PIGEONS    AGAIN.     We    have 

had  some  of  the  old-time  raisers  of  squabs 
from  common  pigeons  on  the  ranches  in  the 
Middle  West  write  us  for  more  proofs  that 
Homers  are  ahead  of  common  pigeons. 

In  reply  we  will  print  here  the  letter 
which  we  received  in  January,  1903,  from  a 
customer  as  follows : 

"  I  have  for  sale  between  four  and  five 
hundred  pen-fed  common  pigeons.  Can  you 
use  them,  and  at  what  price?  Should  you 
not  be  in  a  position  to  use  them  yourself 
probably  you  can  refer  me  to  some  one  that 
is  in  the  market  for  some  fine  pen-fed  birds. 
The  Homers  which  I  purchased  of  you  some 
time  last  summer  are  doing  very  nicely,  and 
have  to  make  more  room  for  them  is  the 
reason  of  wanting  to  dispose  of  my  common 
birds.  Thanking  you  in  advance  for  favor 
asked." 

We  asked  him  to  tell  us  if  he  had  not 
found  pur  Homers  more  profitable  than  com- 
mon pigeons.  He  replied  as  follows: 

"  In  reply  to  yours  will  say  that  your  state- 
ment of  the  Homers  being  more  profitable 
than  the  common  birds  is  true,  as  the  fact 
has  been  demonstrated  to  me  in  the  past 
five  or  six  months,  by  my  experience  of  hav- 
ing the  two  lots  side  by  side  in  separate  pens. 
My  common  birds  referred  to  are  fine  birds 
and  will  sell  them  f.  o.  b.  at  $2.50  per  dozen, 
which,  taking  the  plumpness  of  the  bird  in 
consideration,  is  very  reasonable." 

The  above  breeder  lives  in  Missouri  and 
we  expect  to  sell  a  good  many  of  our  Hom- 
ers to  him  and  to  those  in  his  State  who 
know  of  his  experience.  His  letters  are  at 
our  Boston  office,  where  they  may  be  seen. 
We  will  not  give  his  name  by  mail  because 
he  is  a  customer,  but  if  you  think  the  above 
letters  are  made  up  by  us,  you  write  to  the 
Boston  office  of  Dun's  or  Bradstreet's  com- 
mercial agencies  and  ask  for  one  of  their 
men  to  be  sent  to  our  office  to  investigate. 

PIGEON  MANURE.  Our  advice  in  the 
Manual  as  to  pigeon  manure  has  interested 
pigeon  breeders  all  over  the  country,  nearly 
all  of  whom  say  that  they  never  have  taken 
pains  to  save  it,  and  when  it  got  too  thick 
they  have  scraped  it  up  as  best  they  could 
and  used  it  for  fertilizer.  They  want  to  know 
how  we  keep  it  pure,  and  all  about  the 
market,  etc. 

The  pigeon  breeder  who  does  not  make 
provision  for  the  purity  of  the  manure  and 
the  steady  sale  of  it  is  just  throwing  bank- 
bills  straight  into  the  fire.  We  have  erected 
two  buildings  at  our  place  for  the  manure, 
and  take  every  precaution  to  keep  the  ma- 
nure free  from  straw,  sawdust,  sand,  etc. 
The  first  building  stands  at  the  back  of  one 
of  the  long  houses,  and  about  halfway  in  the 
whole  plant,  so  that  we  can  reach  it  easily 


with  a  wheelbarrow  from  the  houses.  There 
is  a  slide  cut  in  the  north  wall  of  what  we 
call  No.  2  squab  house,  and  through  this 
slide  the  manure  is  shovelled  from  the  wheel- 
barrow (standing  in  the  passageway)  directly 
into  the  manure  house,  where  it  stays  until 
there  is  from  $50  to  $100  worth  of  it,  when 
we  bag  it  up  and  send  it  off.  In  the  other 
building,  which  is  larger,  we  dry  and  store  a 
larger  quantity  of  the  manure. 

We  take  the  wheelbarrow  empty  down 
a  passageway  and  stop  at  a  unit  pen,  then 
go  into  the  unit  pen  with  a  bushel  basket 
and  scrapers.  We  use  a  trowel  to  clean  off 
the  nest-bowls,  a  tree  scraper  to  clean  out 
the  nest-boxes  and  a  hoe  or  a  floor  chisel 
(same  as  is  used  to  clean  off  snow  and  ice 
from  city  sidewalks),  six  inches  wide  at  the 
blade  and  with  a  long  handle  so  that  it  can 
be  easily  used  while  the  operator  is  standing. 
In  scraping  the  floor,  the  manure  rolls  up 
with  little  exertion  off  the  blade  of  the  chisel. 
It  is  shovelled  into  the  bushel  basket  and 
the  basket  taken  out  into  the  passageway, 
and  dumped  into  the  wheelbarrow.  It 
takes  one  man  not  over  thirty  minutes  to 
clean  a  pen  thoroughly  and  the  product  of 
each  pen  is  between  two  and  three  bushels, 
or  from  $1.20  to  $1.80  for  half  an  hour's 
work,  which  is  pretty  good  pay.  (We  have 
been  getting  in  the  winter  of  1903  sixty 
cents  a  bushel  from  the  American  Hide  and 
Leather  Company  of  Lowell,  Mass.)  We 
ship  the  manure  by  freight  in  bags.  We  buy 
these  bags  when  we  can  from  farmers 
who  have  large  herds  of  cows  and  who  use 
considerable  grain,  and  they  let  the  bags  go 
for  one  and  two  cents  apiece.  Second-hand 
bags  in  the  Boston  junkshops  cost  from  four 
to  nine  cents  apiece.  The  leather  people  let 
the  bags  pile  up  and  then  send  them  back 
to  us  in  a  bunch.  We  are  particular  to  save 
not  only  the  manure  in  the  unit  pens,  but 
in  the  sorting  and  mating  cages  and  coops. 
We  cover  the  floors  of  these  cages  with  bur- 
lap, not  tacking  the  burlap  down,  but  stretch- 
ing it  over  three  finish  nails  tacked  at  the 
backs  of  the  cages  and  two  nails  tacked  at 
the  front  of  the  cages.  The  manure  cakes 
and  dries  on  the  burlap  as  it  would  on  the 
floor.  When  there  is  a  layer  about  half  an 
inch  thick,  all  tramped  hard,  dry  and  odor- 
less by  the  constant  hammering  of  the  feet 
of  the  birds,  we  take  the  burlap  off  the  nails 
and  stretch  it  outside,  bottom  up,  then 
sprinkle  water  on  the  back  and  the  manure 
drops  off  in  large  cakes.  The  burlap  then  is 
dried  and  replaced.  This  method  saves  an 
immense  amount  of  time  which  otherwise 
would  be  consumed  in  scraping  the  floors  of 
the  cages.  We  have  108  of  these  cages  at' 
the  farm  and  in  our  Boston  shipping  room, 
each  capable  of  holding  from  12  to  20  pairs 
of  birds,  and  we  have  burlap  carpets  on  all 
of  them.  We  use  a  large  amount  of  burlap 
not  only  for  this  purpose  but  for  small  grain 
bags  to  go  with  crders  for  breeders  to  dis- 
tant points,  and  also  for  the  floors  of  our 


148 


NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


shipping  baskets.  We  buy  this  burlap  in 
large  rcnis  weighing  150  pounds  and  contain- 
ing from  300  to  320  square  yards.  We  do 
not  hem  it  or  sew  it  in  any  way  for  the  cages, 
simply  cut  it  and  in  stretching  it  over  the 
nails  fold  the  raw  edges  under. 

Having  read  ..he  Manual,  you  know  that 
we  do  not  use  sand  or  sawdust  in  our  squab 
houses,  so  we  are  able  to  deliver  manure 
which  is  absolutely  pure.  The  tanneries  do 
not  like  to  get  lots  of  impure  manure  and  of 
course  pay  more  for  the  unadulterated  arti- 
cle. It  is  just  as  easy  and  more  business- 
like to  keep  this  by-product  pure.  Feathers 
and  grain  in  the  manure  do  not  injure  it  for 
tanneries. 

The  manure  in  the  houses  has  no  odor, 
but  when  we  have  got  it  scraped  up  and 
banked  in  the  manure  house,  it  gives  forth 
a  pungent,  ammonia-like  smell.  As  the 
manure  house  is  entirely  cut  off  from  the 
squab  houses  by  the  slide  in  the  passage- 
way, this  pungency  does  not  trouble  any- 
one, It  is  not  a  nasty  smell,  anyway. 

We  have  had  customers  from  as  far  off  as 
Illinois  write  that  they  were  quite  charmed 
with  our  story  about  the  manure,  and  that 
they  were  saving  up  bags  of  it  to  ship  by 
freight  to  the  American  Hide  and  Leather 
Company  at  Lowell,  Mass.  This  tannery 
is  a  branch  of  the  Leather  Trust,  which  has 
other  tanneries,  so  use  your  wits  and  find 
out  which  tannery  is  nearest  you,  and  ship 
to  that  one.  If  you  can  find  a  tannery  not 
in  the  trust,  sell  to  that,  if  you  wish  to.  If 
you  sell  to  a  trust  tannery,  the  check  which 
pays  you  will  come  from  the  New  York  of- 
fice of  the  trust,  same  as  ours  do.  We  rec- 
ommend our  New  England  customers  to 
ship  to  Lowell.  We  have  always  found  the 
leather  people  square  in  measuring  the 
manure,  in  fact  they  have  given  us  credit  on 
two  or  three  occasions  for  more  than  we 
thought  we  had.  They  pay  after  you  have 
sent  your  bill  of  lading  and  the  report  of 
the  measurer  has  gone  to  the  New  York  of- 
fice. You  need  not  be  afraid  of  swamping 
the  leather  trust  with  pigeon  manure.  They 
will  take  all  you  can  scrape  up.  Chemicals 
which  are  used  as  substitutes  when  pigeon 
manure  cannot  be  had  are  said  to  be  injur- 
ious to  the  hide. 

We  write  the  above  to  help  you  sell  the 
manure  from  your  squab  houses.  Do  not  ask 
us  to  advise  you  further  on  this  point,  for  we 
cannot.  If  you  cannot  find  a  tannery  within 
shipping  distance,  try  the  florists  or  market 
gardeners.  We  are  informed  that  the  florists' 
exchange  in  New  York  City  is  a  good  place  to 
sell  pigeon  manure,  and  customers  near  that 
city  have  told  us  that  they  are  selling  there. 

SQUABS  IN  THE  POULTRY  PRESS.     The 

magazines  devoted  to  poultry  are  beginning 
to  take  up  squabs  on  account  of  the  increasing 
interest  shown  by  poultrymen  in  the  subject. 
In  the  Poultry  Keeper  for  November  15,  1902, 
appeared  a  contribution  by  A.  P.  Spiller. 


After  giving  the  general  arrangements  for 
caring  for  the  birds,  he  says:  "At  about  four 
weeks  of  age  the  squabs  are  ready  for  market. 
Some  markets  require  them  dressed,  others 
only  killed.  Good  breeding  pigeons  will 
hatch  and  rear  from  six  to  eleven  pair  of  young 
a  year.  The  cost  to  keep  a  pair  of  breeders, 
including  the  raising  of  the  young,  at  the  pres- 
ent time  is  about  eighty  cents  a  year,  this,  of 
course,  varying  some  with  location  and  cost  of 
feeding  stuff.  Wild  game  birds  are  becoming 
more  scarce  each  year.  The  properly  raised 
tquab  pigeon  comes  nearer  taking  the  place  of 
these  wild  birds  than  anything  else.  That 
they  make  fine  eating,  those  who  have  eaten 
them  cannot  deny.  There  is  always  a  ready 
sale  for  good  plump  squabs  at  hotels,  restau- 
rants, markets  and  private  families,  prices 
ranging  from  $2.50  to  $4.50  per  dozen,  de- 
pending upon  quality  and  season.  When  one 
begins  to  raise  pigeons  it  is  better  to  try  to 
secure  strains  from  some  reliable  breeder  who 
has  stock  bred  along  profitable  lines.  There 
is  a  difference  in  regard  to  breeding  and  feed- 
ing qualities  and  results  obtained  which  war- 
rants the  paying  of  a  little  more  at  the  start  in 
obtaining  more  profitable  stock.  The  writer 
is  in  favor  of  the  straight  Homer,  carefully 
selected  as  to  size,  shape,  breeding  and  feeding 
qualities,  as  it  is  well  known  that  the  Homer 
pigeon  is  one  of  the  best  feeders  and  breeders 
of  any  variety,  and  the  numbers  they  will  pro- 
duce in  a  year  more  than  balance  any  slight 
advantage  that  may  be  obtained  in  size. 
The  breeding  of  pigeons  is  fascinating  to 
most  people.  It  is  true  there  are  some  losses, 
but  with  care  and  some  experience  in  manage- 
ment the  few  losses  that  occur  to  the  beginner 
may  be  reduced  to  a  very  small  percentage. 
The  work  is  light  and  not  as  exacting  as  in 
some  other  lines,  affording  a  lucrative  employ- 
ment almost  from  the  start  to  those  who  are 
not  strong,  as  well  as  to  the  most  robust.  A 
flock  once  mated  will  give  but  little  concern  to 
their  owner,  as  they  remain  constant  for  life 
regardless  of  the  numbers  contained  in  the 
flock,  and  for  years  will  amply  repay  in  profit 
and  pleasure  for  the  feed  and  care  given  them." 

We  -wish  to  call  the  special  attention  of 
our  readers  to  that  portion  of  the  above 
article  by  Mr.  Spiller  where  he  says  that  the 
cost  of  a  pair  of  breeders  is  eighty  cents  a  year. 
We  say  the  cost  is  sixty  cents  a  year  at  the 
present  prices  for  grain  (1903).  In  his  article 
Mr.  Spiller  says  nothing  about  keeping  the 
pigeon  manure  free  from  dirt  and  selling  it  to 
tanneries.  This  must  be  done  in  order  to  hold 
the  feed  bill  down  to  its  lowest  notch.  We  say 
that  the  manure  will  pay  one-third  of  the 
grain  bill,  and  taking  Mr.  Spiller's  figure  of 
eighty  cents,  and  deducting  one-third  from  it, 
we  have  as  the  net  cost  fifty-three  cents. 

We  asked  one  of  our  friends  living  in  West 
Newton,  Mass.,  to  ask  Mr.  Spiller  if  his  esti- 
mate of  cost  was  made  when  he  was  saving  the 
manure  and  selling  it  to  tanneries.  Mr. 
bpiller  replied  by  letter  as  follows  under  date 
of  February  16.  1903:  "No,  the  manure  was 


APPENDIX  A 


149 


not  taken  into  consideration  at  all.  I  do  not 
know  what  the  tanneries  pay  for  it." 

The  owners  of  large  flocks  of  common  pig- 
eons in  the  West  who  are  breeding  squabs  for 
market  do  not  sell  the  manure  and  for  this 
reason  they  lose  an  important  source  of  rev- 
enue. '  It  is  remarkable  to  us  that  pigeons  pay 
with  them  at  all.  Certainly  the  manure  is  a 
very  important  by-product,  and  you  should 
figure  on  selling  it  just  as  you  figure  on  selling 
the  squabs. 

NEWSPAPER    MARKET     QUOTATIONS. 

Only  a  few  of  the  daily  newspapers  of  the 
country  are  in  the  habit  of  printing  regularly 
market  quotations  on  squabs.  The  Boston 
Globe  has  an  article  about  once  a  week  for 
the  information  of  the  household  and  in  this 
article  squabs  are  regularly  quoted.  At 
Thanksgiving  time,  1902,  the  Globe  quoted 
squabs  at  from  $4  to  $5  per  dozen.  In  the 
Globe  of  February  14,  1903,  squabs  were 
quoted  at  $4.50  and  $5  per  dozen.  If  our  New 
England  customers  will  buy  a  copy  of  the 
Friday  or  Saturday  Globe  each  •week,  they  will 
probably  find  this  household  article  containing 
the  quotations  for  squabs  on  one  of  those  days. 

SQUABS  IN  THE  STATE  OF  WASHING- 
TON. The  squab  raisers  in  New  Jersey,  New 
York  and  Pennsylvania  are  very  well  satis- 
fied with  the  New  York  and  Philadelphia  mar- 
kets for  squabs,  and  we  have  done  consider- 
able talking  about  the  New  York  market  our- 
selves, but  let  us  tell  you  that  the  market  for 
squabs  on  the  Pacific  Coast  is  a  fine  one,  too. 
Here  in  the  "East  we  think  Seattle  is  a  long  way 
from  home  and  you  may  find  some  city  chaps 
around  us  who  think  that  city  is  but  just  on 
the  edge  of  the  tall  timber.  If  you  live  out  in 
Michigan,  Illinois,  Minnesota,  Indiana,  Ohio, 
Kentucky,  or  any  State  in  that  section,  you 
ought  to  feel  pretty  sure  that  the  markets  for 
squabs  around  you  are  good,  after  you  have 
read  what  we  are  going  to  tell  you  here  about 
the  market  for  squabs  in  Seattle  and  its  vicin- 
ity. 

These  letters  were  obtained  for  us  by  a 
customer  who  lives  near  Seattle : 

Fulton  Market,  corner  Second  Avenue  and 
Columbia  Street,  Seattle,  Wash.  (Feb.  11, 
1903):  "Yours  at  hand  and  will  say  that  if 
your  birds  are  as  you  say,  we  can  use  on  an 
average  of  twenty  dozen  per  week  at  $2.50  per 
dozen,  feathers  on." 

A.  D.  Blowers  &  Co.,  817-819  Western 
Avenue,  Seattle,  Wash.  (Feb.  12,  1903): 
"Your  valued  favor  to  hand  regarding  squabs. 
In  reply  will  say  that  most  of  the  squabs  used 
in  this  city  are  brought  from  the  East  and 
held  in  cold  storage,  so  that  native  birds  will 
no  doubt  sell  much  better  than  this  article. 
We  have  made  some  inquiry  about  them  and 
find  that  there  will  be  no  trouble  in  selling  four 
to  six  dozen  a  week,  and  no  doubt  many  more, 
as  the  trade  would  open  up.  We  do  not  think 
there  is  any  one  in  this  part  of  the  country  who 


raises  thenr  for  sale,  and  think  if  you  can  pro- 
duce a  good  article  that  you  will  have  no 
trouble  whatever  in  selling  them  here.  The 
price  for  eastern  squabs  is  $2  25  to  $2.50  per 
dozen.  Some  of  the  customers  prefer  to  have 
them  plucked,  others  alive  We  think  it 
would  be  better,  perhaps,  in  the  first  ship- 
ment to  send  them  alive  until  a  regular  trade 
is  established.  Our  commission  for  selling 
them  will  be  ten  per  cent  of  the  gross  sales.  II 
you  have  any  nice  ones,  it  would  be  well  for 
you  to  send  two  to  four  dozen  along  and  see 
what  we  can  do  with  them  for  you." 

(It  is  better  to  ship  squabs  killed  and  prop- 
erly cooled.  Do  not  send  them  alive  to  your 
market.  Few  butchers  in  the  commission 
men's  employ  understand  how  to  kill  and 
cool  a  squab  right.  Do  your  own  killing  and 
cooling  and  packing  as  we  have  given  you 
precise  directions  and  you  will  know,  not 
guess,  that  your  product  is  reaching  the  con- 
sumer in  perfect  condition.) 

Palace  Market  Co.,  Second  Avenue,  Seattle 
Wash.  (Feb.  11,  1903):  "  Squabs  such  as  you 
speak  of  would  be  worth  20  to  25  cents  each ' 
Would  prefer  the  feathers  on.  We  can  use 
all  you  have." 

California  Commission  Company,  923 
Western  Avenue,  Seattle,  Wash.  (Feb.  11, 
1903):  "Your  favor  to  hand  and  contents 
noted.  In  reply  we  beg  to  state  that  squabs 
are  selling  from  $2.50  to  $3.50  per  dozen, 
according  to  the  quality  of  the  birds.  We 
want  them  with  the.  feathers  on  and  not 
drawn.  You  may  ship  us  two  or  three  dozen 
for  a  trial  and  then  we  will  be  better  able  to 
tell  what  we  can  do  for  you  and  see  how  many 
we  can  handle  at  a  time.  Our  commission 
is  ten  per  cent,  on  all  goods.  We  are  certain 
that  we  can  give  you  entire  satisfaction  and 
know  that  our  business  methods  will  please 
you.  We  make  prompt  returns  and  keep 
shippers  well  posted  on  the  market  conditions. 
Trusting  to  be  favored  with  your  further 
valued  orders." 

C.  W.  Chamberlain  &  Co.,  905-907  Western 
Avenue,  Seattle,  Wash.  (Feb.  13,  1903): 
"  Yours  of  the  9th  at  hand  and  contents  fully 
noted.  Squabs,  such  as  you  mentioned, 
would  sell  here  for  about  $3  per  dozen.  Our 
selling  charge  is  ten  per  cent.  Twelve  to 
fifteen  dozen  per  week  could  be  disposed  of 
from  present  information  at  hand.  They 
should  be  shipped  alive." 

J.  F.  Gayton,  steward  Ranier  Club  (this 
club  is  composed  of  the  richest  men  of  Se- 
attle), Seattle,  Wash.  (Feb.  13,  1903):  "I 
am  in  receipt  of  your  letter  with  regard  to 
squabs.  Yes,  I  want  some  squabs  at  any 
time.  Will  be  glad  to  have  them.  I  will 
take  a  dozen  at  25  cents  each,  either  dressefl 
or  undressed,  three  dollars  per  dozen.  After 
I  see  the  first  birds  I  can  tell  whether  I  can 
take  them  regularly." 

Williams  Bros.,  Gilt  Edge  Cafe,  Everett, 
Wash.  (Feb.  12,  1903):  "  In  reply  to  yours 
will  say,  I  cannot  say  at  present  how  many 


VIEW  FROM  PASSAGEWAY. 


VIEW  FROM  INTERIOR  OF  SQUAB  HOUSE. 

Above  are  two  views  of  a  model  made  to  illustrate  what  we  call  the  dowel 
system  of  feeding  and  watering.  It  is  a  great  time-saver  in  a  long  house.  Between 
the  floor  of  squab  house  and  the  lowest  tier  of  nest  boxes  is  one  foot  space.  Fill 
this  space  with  three-eighths  inch  doweling  set  one  and  one-half  inches  apart,  as 
pictured.  (This  doweling  comes  in  any  length  from  a  carpenter  and  is  very  cheap.) 
Set  galvanized  drinker  and  feed  trough  as  shown.  The  trough  has  a  three-quarter 
inch  slot  in  its  bottom  so  that  the  grains  will  fall  into  position  ready  for  eating  on 
the  back  side  of  the  bottom  strip  into  which  the  dowels  are  driven.  The  birds 
stick  their  heads  through  the  dowels  to  eat  and  drink,  and  cannot  foul  either  grain 
or  water.  Push  a  wheelbarrow  with  grain  along  the  passageway  and  a  house  one 
hundred  feet  long  can  be  attended  to  in  fifteen  minutes.  Without  this  arrangement 
if  you  go  into  each  unit  pen  to  feed  and  water,  you  will  use  up  at  least  an  hour,  and 
it  will  be  harder  work.  By  this  method  you  need  enter  the  breeding  pens  only  when 
killing  or  cleaning  times  come. 


APPENDIX  A 


151 


squabs  I  can  use,  but  will  start  with  two 
dozen  a  week,  picked,  at  $2.50  per  dozen. 
Ship  as  soon  as  you  please  and  will  look  the 
market  up  for  you  in  the  meantime." 

Gordon  &  Co.,  commission  merchants,  811 
Western  Avenue,  Seattle,  Wash.  (Feb.  13, 
1903) :  "  Replying  to  your  letter  will  say  that 
we  have  telephoned  to  several  of  the  hotels 
and  restaurants  here  that  would  be  apt  to 
use  squabs  and  we  find  that  there  are  some 
places  that  make  a  specialty  of  using  them 
and  we  do  not  believe  we  would  have  any 
trouble  in  disposing  of  them  nicely.  We 
would  suggest  that  you  send  down  a  small  • 
box  of  them  and  let  us  show  the  customers 
just  what  they  are  and  find  out  just  what 
they  will  be  willing  to  pay  for  them.  They 
have  been  selling  recently  for  25  cents  each. 
If  you  care  to  make  this  shipment,  we  will 
be  glad  to  get  it." 

Seattle  Market,  Cor.  First  Avenue  South 
and  Washington  Street,  Seattle,  Wash.  (Feb. 
10,  1903):  "  In  reply  to  yours  would  say,  it 
would  be  a  good  idea  for  you  to  ship  us  in 
two  or  three  dozen  squabs  for  sample.  I  could 
get  the  hotel  and  restaurant  people's  opin- 
ion on  price  and  quality  and  be  able  to  talk 
to  you  on  quantity.  Eastern  frozen  squabs 
are  selling  on  this  market  for  $2  to  $2.25  per 
dozen.  If  your  stock  is  as  you  say,  I  think 
it  would  be  a  better  seller  than  frozen  goods." 
Maison  Barberis,  restaurant  and  dining 
parlors,  204-210  James  Street,  Seattle,  Wash. 
(Feb.  11,  1'JOS):  "  We  will  take  thirty  dozen 
squabs  every  month;  have  them  plucked,  and 
will  pay  you  $3  per  dozen.  Please  answer 
and  say  about  what  day  of  the  month  you 
will  send  them  in." 

E.  C.  Klyce  &  Co.,  commission  merchants, 
906  Western  Avenue,  Seattle,  Wash.  (Feb.  13, 
1903) :  "  Yours  regarding  squabs  to  hand. 
We  have  investigated  the  market  here  and 
find  a  good  many  of  the  first-class  hotels  and 
cafes  will  take  them  at  very  fair  figures. 
There  seems  to  be  a  variance  of  opinion  as  to 
what  they  will  pay,  but  we  presume  that  the 
supply  has  been  very  limited,  and  they 
would  pay  just  about  whatever  the  seller 
would  ask  in  order  to  get  them.  We  think 
the  average  price  would  be  about  $2.50  to 
$2.75  per  dozen.  Of  course  there  would  be 
some  bidding  among  the  different  buyers  in 
case  they  were  scarce,  and  we  might  get  more 
for  them.  We  have  immediate  access  by 
'phone  and  salesmen  with  all  our  customers 
who  serve  squabs  for  short  orders  or  other- 
wise. By  this  means  you  would  be  in  close 
touch  with  the  people  most  in  need  of  them 
and  would  always  try  to  get  you  top-notch 
prices.  We  believe  this  is  a  good  investment 
for  you  to  grow  them  for  this  market.  Of 
course  you  would  have  to  start  in  and  grad- 
uate up  to  find  how  large  the  volume  of  trade 
will  be  that  we  can  command  you  on  them. 
Anything  in  the  way  of  game,  fowls  or  meats 
are  staple  sellers  at  good  prices." 
Hamm  &  Sclunitz,  Hotel  Butler,  Seattle, 


Wash.  (Feb.  12,  1903) :  "  In  reply  to  yours, 
will  say  that  we  could  use  three  dozen  a 
week  of  the  squabs  and  will  pay  three  dollars 
per  dozen  for  plucked  birds,  laid  down  here." 

The  above  letters  indicate  to  us  that  peo- 
ple in  the  State  of  Washington  who  eat  squabs 
have  to  pay  from  S3  to  $4  a  dozen  for  the 
cold  storage,  frozen  kind.  Poor  as  these 
are  (they  are  the  lightweight  squabs  of  com- 
mon pigeons)  they  are  in  active  demand. 
Of  course  the  consumers  would  pay  as  much, 
and  no  doubt  more,  for  fresh-killed  squabs 
bred  from  our  fine  Homers.  The  commis- 
sion men  are  certainly  eager  to  get  squabs. 
They  are  willing  to  pay  from  $2  to  $3.50.  per 
dozen.  They  resell  them  at  a  profit. 

The  above  letter  from  E.  C.  Klyce  &  Co. 
is  sensible  and  could  well  be  written  by  any 
commission  firm  in  any  State  in  the  Union, 
or  by  any  commission  firm  anywhere  that 
sells  poultry,  eggs  and  butter.  Wherever 
there  is  a  sale  for  hens  and  chickens,  dressed 
or  with  feathers  on,  there  is  a  sale  for  squabs 
at  higher  prices  not  only  because  they  are 
a  greater  delicacy,  but  also  because  good 
eaters  everywhere  know  they  are  a  greater 
delicacy,  and  expect  to  pay,  and  do  pay,  more 
for  squabs,  pound  for  pound,  than  they  pay 
for  hens  and  chickens,  geese  and  turkeys. 

We  ship  to  Seattle  by  the  fastest  express 
trains.  The  birds  go  from  Boston  to  St. 
Paul  (Minnesota)  by  the  Wells-Fargo  Express 
Company.  At  St.  Paul  the  birds  are  taken 
by  the  Northern  Pacific  Express  Company, 
which  has  charge  of  them  to  destination. 
Every  express  messenger  in  the  employ  of 
these  two  companies  of  this  long  route  has 
handled  our  shipments  and  made  a  fine 
record,  and  is  trained  to  the  work  of  feeding 
and  v<atering  all  sizes  of  shipments.  O_ur 
Seattle  trade  can  be  sure  that  their  ship 
ments  will  be  treated  right  and  will  reach 
them  in  perfect  condition.  That  is  what  we 
guarantee. 

'  MORE  LETTERS.  Here  are  more  letters 
from  squab  buyers,  unclassified,  as  they  came 
to  us  in  the  first  part  of  February,  1903 : 

Allyn  House,  Hartford,  Conn.  (February, 
1903) :  "  In  answer  to  yours  will  say  we  are 
continually  using  squabs.  We  buy  them 
plucked  in  all  cases.  We  pay  all  prices,  ac- 
cording to  size,  age,  and  condition  when  re- 
ceived. They  run  from  $2.25  to  $3.25  per 
dozen.  Sometimes  the  market  is  a  little 
higher." 

Russell  House,  Detroit,  Michigan  (Feb- 
ruary, 1903) :  "  In  reply  to  your  letter  would 
say  that  we  use  quite  a  few  squabs  here.  Am 
paying  at  present  $2.50  per  dozen  for  splen- 
did stock.  If  you  care  to  send  me  any  at 
that,  you  have  to  pay  the  express,  I  should 
.be  glad  to  have  same." 

Duquesne  Club,  Pittsburg,  Penn.  (Feb.  11, 
1903):  "Wish  to  know,  if  you  have  squabs 
of  first  quality.  Should  you  have  about  three 
dozen  on  hand,  I  would  pay  you  per  dozen. 


152 


NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 


squabs  plucked  and  delivered  from  $3.59  to 
$3.75  per  dozen.  If  price  suits  you  please  let 
me  know."  Signed  by  E.  Max  Heinrich, 
superintendent. 

Lincoln  Hotel,  Lincoln,  Nebraska  (Feb. 
16,  1903) :  "Replying  to  your  letter.  We  can 
use  about  two  dozen  squabs  per  week  in  our 
cafe  at  present.  Will  pay  $2.50  per  dozen 
delivered  here,  feathers  on." 

Hotel  Victoria,  Pittsburg,  Penn.  (Feb.  18, 
1903) :  In  regard  to  your  letter,  will  say,  we 
use  about  one  dozen  or  one  and  one-half 
dozen  per  week,  just  depends  on  the  business, 
and  will  pay  $3.50  per  dozen  delivered  here 
at  the  hotel." 

Fred  Harvey,  general  office,  Union  Depot 
Annex,  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Chicago  office, 
corner  17th  Street  and  Wentworth  Avenue 
(Feb.  14,  1903) :  We  can  use  15  to  20  dozen 
squabs  per  week  if  the  birds  are  very  nice 
and  the  price  reasonable.  Can  use  them  with 
feathers  on.  Do  not  know  what  we  can  afford 
to  pay,  it  depends  entirely  on  the  birds.  If 
you  will  please  send  three  dozen  squabs  by 
Santa  Fe  baggage  car  to  Kansas  City,  charging 
them  at  such  a  price  that  you  can  afford  to 
furnish  them,  I  will  use  them  as  a  sample.  If 
the  birds  are  not  of  the  right  quality  and  the 
price  is  too  high,  we  will  not  need  any  more, 
but  if  the  birds  and  price  are  right,  we  can  use 
quantity  given  above.  I  enclose  baggage  car 
shipping  bill;  be  careful  to  fill  it  out  correctly. 
This  bill  is  made  in  duplicate:  you  hold  one 
copy  as  your  receipt  and  the  other  goes  with 
the  birds.  Please  put  the  squabs  in  a  small 
box  with  a  little  ice." 

Hotel  Savoy,  Ewins-Childs  Hotel  Co.,  pro- 
tors,  Kansas  City,  Missouri  (Feb.  16, 
3):  "What  is  your  lowest  price  on  best 
squabs  in  five-dozen  lots  ?  We  are  not  in  the 
habit  of  sending  out  of  town  for  our  supplies, 
but  if  you  have  something  better  than  we  can 
get  here,  it  is  possible  that  we  can  do  business 
with  you."  (Siged  by  George  Thompson, 
steward). 

Frank  E.  Miller,  superintendent  Dining 
Service,  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway 
System,  No.  707  Chestnut  Street,  St.  Louis, 
Missouri  (Feb.  16,  1903):  "I  have  your 
favor  relative  to  squabs.  It  is  proper  for  you 
to  state  the  price  per  dozen.  We  occupy  eight 
or  ten  large  dining  stations  and  require  a  large 
number." 

Hollenden  Hotel,  Cleveland,  Ohio  (Feb. 
19,  1903):  "In  reply  to  your  letter  making 
inquiry  regarding  squabs  I  will  state  that  we 
are  paying  $3.00  per  dozen  for  nice  dressed 
squabs.  We  do  not  buy  any  unless  they*  are 
fully  dressed,  no  feathers  on." 

Louis  A.  Fisher,  Manager  Century  Club, 
Cleveland,  Ohio  (Feb.  17,  1903):  "We  buy 
all  our  squabs  in  New  York  as  the  prices  of 
three  and  four  dollars  per  dozen  prevailing  in 
this  city  are  too  high — that  is,  we  buy  cheaper 
in  New  York  than  here." 

A.  S.  Barnett,  steward  Morton  House.  Grand 
Rapids,  Michigan  (Feb.  11,  1903):  "In 


reply  to  your  inq-.urv  in  regard  to  what  we 
would  pay  for  squat  is  such  as  you  have,  we  are 
paying  $2.25  per  do^n.  Should  you  consider 
our  price  an  object,  would  be  pleased  to  learn 
how  many  you  could  furnish  a  week." 

Hotel  Schenlen,  Pittsburg,  Penn.  (Feb.  10, 
1903):  "Your  squabs  must  be  according  to 
the  weight  and  you  should  find  a  ready  market 
for  such  stock.  Nice  white  squabs  are  bring- 
ing $3.50  today." 

Hotel  Rider,  Cambridge  Springs,  Penn. 
(Feb.  11,  1903):  "We  can  pay  you  $2.25  per 
dozen  for  genuine  squabs  (no  pigeons)  de- 
livered here.  Can  use  six  or  eight  dozen  at  a 
time,  but  we  do  not  want  anything  but  young 
birds." 

E.  A.  Goodrich  &  Co.,  commission  mer- 
chants, 103  South  Water  Street,  Chicago, 
Illinois  (Feb.  13,  1903) :  "Your  favor  at 
hand.  If  you  mean  fat  young  pigeons  that 
have  left  the  nest  and  can  fly,  they  are  worth 
75  cents  to  $1  per  dozen,  and  the  trade  wants 
them  alive.  (This  is  the  way  the  trade  in 
Boston  wants  them,  but  they  pay  more.)  If 
you  mean  nestlings,  or  very  young  pigeons 
which  have  not  left  the  nest  and  are  unable  to 
fly,  we  can  get  you  $2  to  $2.25  per  dozen, 
dressed  neatly.  Either  kind  is  good  sale  at 
prices  named  and  can  handle  for  you  any 
quantity  from  five  dozen  to  one  hundrny 
dozen.  If  nestlings,  tie  in  one-half  dozen 
bunches  packed  in  ice  and  ship  by  express." 

A  FINAL  WORD.  Our  object  in  printing 
the  letters  from  marketmen  and  other  squab 
buyers,  in  this  appendix,  is  to  convince  any 
intelligent  man  or  woman  that  there  is  a  mar- 
ket for  him,  provided  he  goes  to  raising 
squabs,  no  matter  where  he  lives.  We  have 
hundreds  of  similar  letters  on  hand,  but  we 
have  not  room  to  print  all,  and  we  think  we 
have  printed  enough.  If  you  are  not  con- 
vinced by  what  we  have  printed  that  there 
is  a  paying  market  for  squabs  within  five 
hundred  miles  of  you,  do  not  write  to  us  and 
ask  us  to  tell  you  the  names  and  addresses 
of  squab  buyers  in  your  town  or  city,  or 
your  county,  for  that  we  may  not  be  able  to 
do,  but  sit  down  at  your  writing  desk,  or  go 
out  in  person,  and  find  out  for  yourself. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  argue  the  squab  mar- 
ket with  any  one  of  common  sense  who_ 
lives  east  of  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri 
rivers,  and  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  within 
shipping  distance  of  Denver.  If  you  live  in 
a  barren  territory  or  a  foreign  country,  and 
wish  to  take  up  this  subject  with  us,  we  will 
reply  to  the  best  of  our  ability,  but  remember 
that  you  are  on  the  ground,  and  can  find  out 
such  facts  for  yourself  better  than  we  can  tell 
you. 

This  Manual  is  intended  to  be  a  book  of 
facts,  backed  up  by  evidence.  If  anybody  has 
any  additional  facts  as  to  squabs  which  will 
improve  this  Manual,  we  will  be  glad  to  con- 
sider same,  and  will  pay  for  them  if  accepted 


APPENDIX  B 


Many  interesting  points  with  regard  to  squab  raising,  the  management 
of  a  plant,  and  so  forth,  are  disclosed  by  the  letters  which  we  receive  from 
customers,  and  the  following  pages  will  repay  reading  as  showing  the  practical 
side  of  the  business. 

The  stories  of  success,  letters  from  customers,  which  appear  in  this  Appen- 
dix B,  were  received  by  us  in  1905,  along  with  hundreds  of  others  of  similar 
character.  These  show  results  duplicated  over  and  over  again  by  our  cus- 
tomers, and  they  came  to  us  in  the  ordinary  run  of  business,  day  by  day. 

We  do  not  print  the  names  and  addresses  of  these  customers.  Many  of 
them  are  regular  buyers  of  our  birds.  We  would  advertise  them  as  breeders 
to  our  loss.  We  guarantee  the  genuineness  of  the  letters  here  printed,  and  will 
prove  it  in  any  way  desired.  The  originals  are  on  file  at  our  office  at  Boston 
and  may  b^  seen  there. 

Here  are  stories  which  tell  of  hardy,  vigorous  parent  stock;  of  one-pound 
squabs;  of  quick  results  from  a  small  purchase;  of  flocks  from  us  bred  for 
years  without  a  single  death ;  of  remarkable  breeding  qualities ;  of  handsome 
Homers  which  attract  admiration  wherever  they  go;  of  prizes  won  at  fairs;  of 
excellence  demonstrated  over  Homers  of  any  breeding  in* every  State;  of  many 
women  who  are  making  success  with  our  birds ;  of  customers  who  started  with 
small  flocks  and  later  bought  of  us  by  the  hundred  pairs ;  etc. 

See  page  153  for  the  difference  between  sand  and  grit.  Same  page  also  for 
conditions  in  Florida. 

See  page  1 55  for  points  about  moulting. 

On  page  157  read  what  a  correspondent  says_  about  inbreeding,  and  the 
author's  reply;  also  causes  of  failure  in  squab  raising. 

More  about  the  excellent  market  for  squabs  in  the  State  of  Washington  is 
given  on  page  159. 

Breeding  without  having  any  sickness  or  deaths  is  told  on  pages  159  and 
160. 

The  experience  of  a  squab  breeder  with  five  hundred  common  pigeons 
is  told  on  page  164. 

OUR  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  ARE  great  many  pigeon  fanciers.    We  have  sold 

STRONG    IN   AND   AROUND   BRIDGETON,  more  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  in  this  [Cum- 

NEW    JERSEY,     WHERE     THERE     ARE  berlandl  county,  around  Bridgeton,  than  any 

SOME  CRITICAL  BUYERS  AND  BREEDERS  breeder  or  set  of  breeders  in    that    county, 

—READ  THIS  LETTER  FROM  A  CUSTOMER  and  the  reason  for  it  is  just  what  our  cus- 

IN  SOUTH  VINELAND.     Will  you  kindly  let  tomer  in  South  Vineland  states  above.) 
me  know  when  is  the  best  time  for  me  to  buy 

more  pigeons,  as  those  I  bought  of  you  three  SAND    IS    NOT    GRIT— CONDITIONS    IN 

years  ago  are  doing  finely,  and  I  am  perfectly  FLORIDA,  AND  SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE 

satisfied  with   them  and  I  tell  people  where  GREAT  MARKET  THERE.     I  have  plenty 

I  got  them,  and  several  persons  told  me  they  of  beach  sand  and  would  like  to  know  if  you 

were  going  to  send  for  some  from  you.   There  really  need  to  ship  me  the  grit,  for  I  am  going 

are  lots  of  people  come  to  see  them,  as  (hey  to  cover  the  ground  of  the  flying  pen  with 

are  fine  birds,   and  when  I  send  for  more  I  the  sand. — J.  S.,  Florida. 

want  them  mated  like  the  ones  I  got  before;  Answer:  Gravel    is   grit,   but   sand   is   not 

but  I  will  not  send  until  I  hear  from  you.     I  grit.    It  is  all  right  to  cover  the  ground  of  the 

got  twenty-four  pairs  the   last  time.     There  flying  pen  with  sand  and  use  sand  generally 

were  two  that  died  a  little  while  after  I  got  about  the  squab  house.     In  Florida  there  is 

them,  but  that  was  all  I  lost. — O.  W.,  New  nothing  but  sand,  and  this  is  true  of  other 

Jersey.     (This  customer  lives  in  South  Vine-  localities   also.     I  wish   everybody  who  has 

land,   New  Jersey,  a  few  miles  from  Bridge-  pigeons   or  poultry  would  read  and  remem- 

ton,  New  Jersey,  and  in  this  territory  are  a  ber  what  I  say  about  sand  and  grit.     Sand 

LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

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STORIES    OF    SUCCESS    WITH   PLYMOUTH   ROCK    HOMERS 


is  the  product  of  the  washing  of  the  ocean's 
waters.  This  incessant  beating  and  washing 
have  worn  off  all  the  sharp  corners.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  (as  skillful  breeders  of  poultry 
in  Florida  know),  if  the  birds  can  get  no  grit 
and  are  forced  to  eat  sand,  then  the  sand 
which  they  eat  packs  tight  within  them,  and 
if  you  cut  open  one  which  has  died  from 
some  inexplicable  cause,  you  will  find  the 
bunch  of  sand.  It  is  not  grit  at  all,  and  does 
not  cut  and  grind  the  grain  as  grit  does. 
This  is  the  cause  for  many  failures  with 
poultry  in  Florida. — lack  of  grit.  The 
breeder  thinks  he  has  grit  all  around  him, 
when  he  has  none.  It  is  all  right  to  cover 
the  flying  pen  with  sand;  it  is  clean  stuff  and 
the  pigeons  will  not  eat  it  unless  they  are 
forced  to  by  their  owner's  failure  to  provide 
grit.  Make  no  mistake,  pigeons  can  tell  grit 
from  sand.  For  further  remarks  on  grit  see 
Supplement  to  Manual.  It  is  fully  as  im- 
portant as  grain  and  grain  is  not  good  for 
anything  without  it.  Just  a  word  about  the 
Florida  squab  outlook  while  I  am  answering 
this  Florida  query.  I  spent  four  months  in 
the  winter  of  1905,  in  Bade  County,  three 
hundred  miles  south  of  Jacksonville,  to  get 
rid  of  a  cough.  I  found  three  of  my  custom- 
ers in  and  around  Palm  Beach.  One  lived 
in  Jupiter  and  was  raising  them  all  right 
but  the  market  was  not  to  his  liking,  and  he 
was  a  good  man,  too.  Another  at  Man- 
gonia,  two  miles  from  Palm  Beach,  was  an 
experienced  poultry  man,  and  he  was  a  good 
business  man.  Although  well-to-do,  he  gets 
on  his  bicycle  every  day  during  the  winter 
season  and  sells  his  poultry  and  eggs  to  the 
rich  cottagers  at  first  hand.  You  would  not 
believe  me  if  I  told  you  what  prices  he  gets. 
As  for  squabs,  I  state  here  with  full  knowledge 
of  the  facts,  that  any  number  of  squabs  may 
be  sold  in  Palm  Beach  from  January  1  to 
April  1,  for  $1  apiece,  $12  a  dozen  provided 
they  are  good  squabs,  such  as  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers  breed.  The  Hotel  Royal  Ponciana 
at  Palm  Beach  (called  the  largest  in  the  world) 
the  winter  I  was  there  had  fifty-two  thousand 
separate  names  on  its  register  in  its  three 
months'  season.  These  were  the  richest 
people,  in  Florida  for  amusement,  and  ac- 
customed to  the  choicest  table  delicacies. 
This  is  only  one  hotel;  there  are  many  others, 
including  the  chain  of  great  Flagler  hotels 
from  St.  Augustine  to  Miami  and  Nassau. 
Who  also  in  Florida  has  the  business  sense 
to  see  an  opportunity  and  follow  it  up  by 
providing  these  tens  of  thousands  of  rich 
northern  people  every  winter  with  squabs? 
I  always  considered  California  the  _  ideal 
climate  for  breeding  squabs,  but  Florida  is 
just  as  good;  it  is  perpetual  summer  there 
and  the  winter  market  beats  anything  I  have 
ever  seen  or  heard  of.  As  for  the  summer 
and  fall  market,  it  is  not  good  for  much.  If 
you  must  sell  squabs  and  poultry  then  to  keep 
a-going,  you  will  have  to  ship  North  by  the 


Clyde  line,  or  else  sell  your  goods  to  native 
folks  at  about  half  the  price  you  get 
from  northern  sojourners  in  the  winter. 

WOMAN  HAS  RAISED  ONE  HUNDRED 
PAIRS.  Two  years  ago  we  bought  some 
pigeons  of  you.  We  have  some  fine  ones 
now,  about  two  hundred,  or  one  hundred 
pairs. — Mrs.  W.  B.,  Pennsylvania. 

BRED  SATISFACTORILY  ALL  WINTER. 

Enclosed  find  money  order  for  supplies, 
etc.  I  have  some  stock  whose  parents  came 
from  you  and  can  say  they  are  certainly  all 
you  claim  for  them.  They  have  bred  satis- 
torily  all  winter  and  bid  fair  to  continue. — • 
R.  A.  S.,  Massachusetts. 

SYSTEM   AND    DIRECTIONS   PERFECT. 

Your  system  and  directions  for  handling 
birds  are  about  perfect,  and  your  Manual  is 
almost  indi  ;p  -nsable  for  any  one  who  is  in  the 
pigeon  business.  The  drinking  fountain, 
bath  pan  and  nest  bowls  reached  me.  They 
are  just  what  I  have  been  looking  for  for  a 
long  time. — Mrs.  H.  J.  S.,  Pennsylvania. 

VIRGINIA  WOMAN  ORDERS  A  SECOND 

LOT.  My  pigeons  came  safely  Saturday 
morning  and  are  exceedingly  fine  birds.  I 
like  them  so  much  that  I  enclose  remittance 
for  another  lot. — Miss  A.  M.  D.,  Virginia. 

THEY  PLEASE  EVERYBODY.  The  one 
dozen  pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 
I  received  from  you  on  November  9  are  all 
doing  well.  Quite  a  number  of  persons  have 
seen  the  birds  and  all  seem  to  think  them 
fine.— W.  B.  R.,  New  York. 

RUGGED  STOCK.  HE  HAS  LOST  BUT 
FEW  EGGS  AND  BIRDS  IN  HIS  EXPERI- 
ENCE. I  now  have  in  my  flock  about  two 
hundred  birds  which  are  producing  squabs 
rapidly  and  seem  to  be  doing  well.  Have 
lost  but  few  eggs  or  birds  during  my  experi- 
ence. I  have  two  parties  figuring  to  buy 
me  out.  I  have  been  enlarging  my  plant 
and  will  divide  the  flock  unless  I  sell.  I  will 
send  for  more  nest  bowls  in  case  I  do  not  sell 
out.— H.  H.  K.,  Missouri. 

STRENGTH  AND  VIGOR  OF  OUR  STOCK 

SHOWN  BY  AN  EXCELLENT  JOURNEY 
TO  CALIFORNIA.  The  pigeons  you  shipped 
me  on  the  2d  reached  me  the  9th  in  excellent 
condition.  The  first  thing  they  had  after 
being  put  in  the  squab  house  was  a  bath, 
and  I  never  saw  anything  more  grateful 
than  they  seemed  to  be.  I  am  glad  you 
sent  the  extra  pah-  of  birds.  I  think  the  way 
the  birds  stood  the  long,  trying  trip  speaks 
volumes  for  the  strength  and  vigor  of  the 
flock.  Thank  you  for  the  promptness  with 
which  the  order  was  filled. — Mrs.  J.  F.  P., 
California. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

154 


STORIES    OF    SUCCESS   WITH    PLYMOUTH    ROCK   HOMERS 


SOON  TO  SEND  FOR  MORE  BIRDS. 

Enclosed  find  money  order  for  $2.88,  for 
which  please  send  to  my  address  three  dozen 
nest  bowls  for  pigeons.  My  birds  that  I  got 
of  you  last  fall  are  doing  well.  Thanking 
you  for  past  favors,  and  that  soon  I  am  send- 
ing for  more  birds. — Mrs.  M.  H.  P.,  Con- 
necticut. 

PIGEONS   WERE   MOULTING.     Can   you  • 

explain  to  me  why  my  birds  start  in  and  make 
their  nests  and  then  stop?  They  have  done 
very  little  since  October  (it  is  now  December). 
They  are  looking  fine.  They  are  all  mated 
Their  house  is  cleaned  twice  a  week.  They 
are  fres  from  lice.  They  have  shell,  salt  and 
codfish  in  front  of  them  all  the  time,  no  rats 
or  mice  to  trouble  them.  I  have  about  sixty. 
The  house  is  twelve  by  thirty.  The  house  is 
not  cold.  They  have  plenty  of  nest  material. 
Not  a  sick  or  dumpish  bird  in  the  lot.  If  you 
can  tell  me  what  else  I  can  do,  you  will  con- 
fer a  great  favor.  I  bought  my  birds  of  you 
in  May,  twelve  pairs.  I  have  over  sixty;  do 
you  think  they  have  done  well? — F.  E.  G., 
New  York. 

Answer:  If  you  had  applied  to  one  of  the 
know-it-alls  (who  know  nothing  about  pig- 
eons), he  would  have  told  you  that  your 
trouble  came  from  the  fact  that  you  did  not 
originally  buy  your  birds  from  him,  but  the 
simple  truth  is  that  your  birds  were  moult- 
ing late,  and  would  not  lay  until  through 
shedding  their  feathers  and  getting  their 
new  coats . 

GOOD  GRAIN  NEEDED  FOR  GOOD 
BIRDS.  Enclosed  find  remittance  for  one 
hundred  pounds  best  red!  wheat  and  one 
hundred  pounds  hempseed.  I  have  had  hard 
work  to  get  good  red  wheat  lately,  and  I  find 
it  poor  practice  to  feed  the  inferior  grain,  as 
the  birds  scatter  it  all  over  the  house,  so 
thought  I  would  try  and  get  some  from  you. 
I  think  my  birds  are  doing  first  class,  and 
I  intend  to  put  in  two  or  three  more  lots  as 
soon  as  I  can  arrange  for  them. — C.  E.  B., 
New  Hampshire  . 

CONVINCED  HIM  THAT  THEY  ARE 
PROFITABLE.  About  a  year  ago  I  bought 
from  you  half  a  dozen  pairs  of  Homer  pigeons, 
and  at  present  time  they  number  over  fifty 
birds.  The  way  they  have  increased  and  the 
little,  but  necessary,  care  they  need  convinces 
me  that  they  must  be  profitable.  I  enclose 
twenty-five  cents  for  the  working  plans  for 
enlarged  house,  which  I  intend  to  build  as  soon 
as  the  weather  permits,  with  the  idea  of  stock- 
ing it  in  the  early  spring. — H.  B.  R.,  New  York 

MORE  THAN  PLEASED  IN  ARKANSAS. 

The  pigeons  that  you  shipped  arrived  here 
O.  K. — twenty-six  in  all.  Many  thanks  for 
the  extra  pair.  They  are  doing  fine,  and  I  am 
more  than  pleased  with  them,  and  hope  to 
send  for  more  soon. — A.  H.,  Arkansas. 


SATISFIED  WITH  SQUAB  HOUSE  AND 
BIRDS.  The  pigeons  and  also  the  letter 
statin?  they  were  shipped  arrived  yesterday 
morning  at  nine  o'clock.  This  certainly  was 
fast  time  from  Boston  as  the  stamp  of  your 
letter  showed  5.30  p.m.,  forty-eight  hours 
previous.  To  say  that  we  are  pleased  with  the 
birds  does  not  express  it.  They  are  certainly 
fine  birds,  and  we  will  try  to  do  our  part  to 
make  a  success  of  the  business.  We  built  our 
houses  after  the  plans  given  in  your  squab 
book,  and  are  well  pleased  with  them.  As 
soon  as  we  get  them  painted  we  will  send  you 
photographs  of  them  so  you  can  see  where  we 
keep  our  birds  and  how  we  care  for  them. 
The  birds  were  all  in  good  shape  and  seem  to 
have  received  good  care  from  the  express 
company. — H.  A.  B.,  Illinois. 

DOING  NICELY.  Enclosed  find  stamps 
for  which  please  send  me  some  aluminum  tub- 
ing for  leg  bands.  The  birds  we  bought  from 
you  are  doing  nicely. — A.  H.  W.,  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

GOING  TO  SELL  HIS  COMMON  PIGEONS 
—EXTRA  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  THE  BEST 
BREEDERS  TO  BE  HAD.  I  have  had  pigeons 
only  about  a  year.  At  present  I  have  about 
seventy,  half  Homer  and  half  common  pig- 
eons. I  am  going  to  sell  the  common  pigeons, 
and  in  the  fall  you  shall  have  my  order  for 
breeders.  1  think  your  Extra  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers  are  the  best  breeders  that  are  to  be  had. 
Mrs.  Street,  who  lives  here  has  some  of  your 
Homers,  and  I  think  they  are  all  you  claim  for 
them.— W.  W.  P.,  Arizona. 

FINE  AND  HEALTHY.  Enclosed  find 
$1.70  in  two-cent  stamps,  for  which  please 
send  me  the  leg-band  outfit.  My  birds  are 
doing  very  nicely.  They  look  fine  and  are 
very  healthy. — C.  C.  R.,  Pennsylvania. 

FIRST  SHIPMENT  DOING  WELL,  SO  HE 
ORDERS  ANOTHER.  Enclosed  find  money 
order  for  which  send  eighteen  pairs  and  four 
dozen  nest-bowls.  The  first  order  of  mine 
was  received  O  K.  The  birds  are  doing  fine. 
— N.  S.  R.,  Iowa. 

FAST  WORK— HAS  NOT  HAD  HIS  BIRDS 
A  MONTH,  BUT  HAS  PLENTY  OF  NESTS, 
AND  SQUABS  ARE  DUE.  I  am  very  agree- 
ably surprised  with  the  pigeons  which  you 
sent  me.  I  received  them  on  May  18.  They 
were  so  quiet  and  seemed  so  much  at  home 
that  I  let  them  into  the  fly  on  the  22d  and  had 
no  trouble  with  them.  They  went  in  and  out 
and  did  not  have  to  bother  with  them.  On 
May  24  I  received  the  nest-bowls  and  put 
them  in  the  house  the  same  afternoon.  The 
next  day  one  of  them  commenced  to  make  a 
nest  and  lay.  She  is  setting  now  and  should 
hatch  about  the  16th  of  June;  so  I  think  I  will 
have  some  squabs  before  I  have  had  the  pig- 
eons a  month.  I  think  this  is  pretty  fast 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

155 


OUR  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  ARE  BOUGHT  AND  BRED 
BY  THE  UNITED  STATES  GOVERNMENT  AT  WASHINGTON 

The  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  are  being  bred  by  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment at  Washington  successfully  and  satisfactorily,  exactly  according  to  our 
Manual  and  the  directions  which  we  give  our  thousands  of  customers.  The 
Government  buys  our  birds  because  they  are  the  best. 

The  first  lot  of  our  Extra  Homers  which  we  shipped  Uncle  Sam  brought  us 
back  a  letter  from  the  superintendent  saying:  "  The  birds  were  in  perfect 
condition  with  the  exception  of  a  single  individual  whose  eye  had  been 
injured.  I  am  very  much  pleased  with  the  pigeons,  which  are  certainly  a  fine 
lot." 

The  birds  did -well  and  a  return  order  for  more  birds  came  to  us  later  from 
the  Government,  the  order  stating:  "  Referring  to  my  letter  of  March  24, 
I  have  the  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  the  pigeons  received  from  you  have 
now  become  satisfactorily  established  in  their  new  quarters,  and  it  seems  that 
we  can  advantageously  increase  our  stock." 

To  fulfil  the  United  States  Government  specifications,  breeding  stock 
shipped  as  per  orders  given  us  had  to  be  not  only  the  best  of  its  kind,  but 
absolutely  healthy.  One  pigeon  in  the  first  shipment  died  after  a  time  and 
the  remains  were  turned  over  to  the  biological  department  of  the  Department 
of  Agriculture,  for  a  microscopical  examination  to  discover  germs  of  con- 
tagion. None  was  found,  and  the  flock  continued  in  rugged  health. 

It  is  a  compliment  to  us  and  a  good  advertisement  for  us,  for  the  United 
States  Government  to  buy  our  breeding  stock. 

THE  STATE  OF  WISCONSIN 

is  another  of  our  customers,  having  bought  an  outfit  of  both  birds  and  sup- 
plies for  its  Northern  Hospital  for  the  Insane. 

We  have  supplied  many  well-known  American  families  with  squab- 
breeding  flocks  and  outfits,  including  the  Rockefellers,  Carnegies,  Goulds,  etc. 
These  very  rich  people,  accustomed  to  the  best  table  delicacies,  breed  their 
own  squabs  from  our  birds,  because  in  this  way  only  can  they  be  assured  of  a 
steady  supply  of  unvarying  excellence,  the  markets  and  the  breeders  of 
ordinary  squabs  not  being  dependable.  Some  of  our  customers  have  exclu- 
sive contracts  with  rich  families  who  take  all  they  breed.  One  customer,  a 
woman,  supplies  the  Brandegees,  multi-millionaires  of  Boston.  The  Carne- 
gies have  a  large  estate  in  Florida.  Three  years  ago  we  received  a  trial  order 
for  twelve  pairs  of  our  best  birds  from  one  of  the  ladies  of  this  household. 
She  did  so  well  breeding  squabs  and  was  so  well  pleased  with  our  birds,  that 
the  manager  of  the  farm  visited  us  in  the  summer  of  1907  and  gave  us  a  large 
order  for  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and  supplies  which  later  we  shipped  to 
Florida. 

156 


STORIES    OF   SUCCESS   WITH    PLYMOUTH    ROCK   HOMERS 


work.  Several  more  are  making  nests  and 
laying.  I  thank  you  very  much  for  sending 
me  the  fine  stock  which  you  did.  One  of  my 
friends  told  me  the  other  day  that  he  had 
written  to  you  last  fall  about  your  pigeons 
but  had  never  received  an  answer  from  you. 
I  told  him  his  letter  must  have  miscarried. 
He  is  starting  in  the  squab  business  with  com- 
mon pigeons,  and  they  will  be  likely  to  fail. 
My  birds  have  been  greatly  admired  by  all  that 
have  seen  them,  and  I  hope  to  interest  some 
of  my  friends  in  your  Homers.  Thank  you 
for  fair  treatment. — E.  W.  T.,  New  Jersey. 

BETTER  HOMERS  THAN  THIS  ILLINOIS 
CUSTOMER     EXPECTED     TO     GET.     My 

fifty  pairs  of  pigeons  arrived  safe  and  sound 
yesterday.  They  are  fine  birds,  better  than  I 
expected.  The  express  was  $5.05,  which  was 
reasonable  enough.  If  these  birds  do  well  will 
order  fifty  pairs  more  in  December.  Thank 
you  for  your  prompt  and  square  way  of  doing 
business. — C.  D.  P.,  Illinois. 


HIS  EXPERIENCE  WITH  RUNTS  A 
FAILURE.  I  have  been  raising  squabs  from 
runt  pigeons  and  have  lost  so  much  on  them 
that  I  cannot  afford  to  risk  any  more  money 
on  stock  which  may  turn  out  to  be  as  bad  as 
some  that  has  been  passed  off  on  me.  Please 
give  me  your  prices  on  your  Extra  Homers 
and  nest-bowls. — G.  W.  M.,  Pennsylvania. 

PRETTY  BIRDS  IN  TEXAS,  ALWAYS 
HEALTHY,  NEVER  SICK.  You  will  remem- 
ber that  I  bought  six  pairs  of  birds  from  you 
last  July.  I  have  now  about  twenty  pairs  on 
hand  as  nice  and  pretty  birds  as  you  ever  saw, 
well  marked.  They  are  perfectly  healthy, 
never  sick. — Mrs.  L.  C.,  Texas. 

PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  HAVE 
MORE  THAN  COME  UP  TO  HIS  EXPECTA- 
TIONS. My  intentions  are  at  present  to  give 
fifty  pairs  of  your  birds  a  thorough  trial  for  one 
year,  and  if  it  proves  successful  I  intend  to 
move  my  place  near  New  York  City  and  then 
increase  it  to  one  thousand  pairs  to  start  with. 
The  birds  I  received  from  you  have  more  than 
come  up  to  my  expectations,  and  if  the  business 
moves  along  as  it  has  I  do  not  think  I  will 
hesitate  one  moment  next  spring  to  increase 
my  flock  to  the  amount  stated.  Thank  you 
for  past  favors. — J.  D.,  New  York. 

BREEDING  WELL  IN  FLORIDA.  En- 
closed find  money  order  for  $1.70  for  which 
please  send  to  me  by  mail  your  leg-band  outfit. 
My  birds  are  doing  finely.  I  wish  I  had  twice 
as  many,  but  must  be  contented  with  these  at 
present.  The  young  squabs  are  leaving  the 
nests  every  day  or  so. — G.  A.  G.,  Florida. 


LOUISIANA    CUSTOMER    BRED    THEM. 

Enclosed  herewith  find  money  order  for  fifty 
cents,  for  which  please  send  me  your  squab 
book  also  quote  me  your  best  prices  on  birds, 
drinking  fountains,  etc.  You  sold  me  twelve 
pairs  of  your  pigeons  and  shipped  them  to 
Wilson,  Louisiana,  and  I  like  them  very  much, 
and  they  did  all  you  claim  for  them.— T.  J.  C., 
Louisiana. 

QUICK  WORK  IN  OHIO.  The  birds  ar- 
rived Saturday,  May  6,  and  on  Saturday  the 
13th  three  had  laid  and  were  setting.  Today, 
May  16,  five  are  setting  and  one  odd  egg_  is  in 
another  nest  without  the  nesting  material. — 
C.  G.  A.,  Iowa. 


NO  AILMENTS  AND  BREEDING  SATIS- 
FACTORILY. The  birds  ordered  of  you  on 
the  13th  were  received  on  the  16th,  and  find 
them  the  same  as  the  other  order — satis- 
factory in  every  respect.  I  also  wish  to  thank 
you  for  the  extra  pair.  My  first  order  of 
birds,  which  I  received  from  you  five  weeks  • 
ago,  are  doing  finely — no  pigeon  ailments.  I 
have  squabs,  and  the  majority  of  them  are 
hatching.— D.  &  S.,  New  York. 

SOMETHING  ABOUT  INBREEDING,  TO- 
GETHER WITH  REMARKS  ON  WHY  SOME 
PEOPLE  FAIL  AT  SQUAB  BREEDING. 

Enclosed  find  draft  for  $40  for  which  please 
ship  per  Adams  or  Southern  Express,  to  above 
address,  twenty-four  pairs  Plymouth  Rock 
Homer  pigeons.  Will  want  four  times  as 
many  more  if  these  prove  satisfactory.  I  was 
quite  interested  in  your  National  Standard 
Squab  Book,  but  am  a  little  inclined  to  criti- 
cise some  statements.  On  page  41 ,  it  seems  to 
me  it  would  be  we\l  to  substitute  gizzard,  for 
crop,  when  describing  the  necessity  for  grit  in 
the  digestive  process,  and  in  your  comments 
on  inbreeding,  you  evidently  lose  sight  of  the 
fact  that  in  all  doves  and  pigeons,  in  the  wild 
or  natural  state,  the  young  hatch  in  pairs, 
male  and  female,  almost  invariably,  and 
that  they  almost  invariably  mate,  and  have 
done  so  for  centuries  without  deterioration. 
The  Gentry  swine,  which  took  about  all  of  the 
high  prizes  at  St.  Louis,  have  been  inces- 
tuously  inbred  for  twenty-five  years.  The 
Hart  herd  of  Jerseys,  finest  in  the  State  of 
Ohio,  have  been  bred  sire  to  daughter,  son  to 
mother,  brother  to  sister  for  ten  generations, 
and  have  constantly  improved  in  size,  vigor 
and  productiveness.  The  Bishop  merinos 
started  with  three  animals  and  never  had  a 
drop  of  outside  blood  in  forty  years,  and  were 
then  the  finest  in  the  world.  So  there  is 
nothing  to  be  feared  from  inbreeding  if  stock, 
is  well  cared  for  and  ordinary  intelligence  is 
used.— H.  R.  C.,  Ohio. 

Answer:  Good;  I  am  glad  to  get  that  kind 
of  a  letter  because  it  shows  that  the  writer  is 


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STORIES   OF    STJCCESS    WITH   PLYMOUTH    ROCK   HOMERS 


able  to  think  for  himself.  However,  I  do  not 
in  breed  pigeons,  and  I  do  not  think  you  have 
authority  for  making  the  sweeping  statement 
that  in  a  wild  state  the  pigeons  almost  in- 
variably mate  in  pairs  as  they  were  hatched. 
I  will  prove  that  to  you  right  now  by  asking 
you,  Have  you  not  seen  male  pigeons,  both  in 
a  wild  state  and  domesticated,  fighting  for  the 
possession  of  a  female?  Certainly,  we  all 
have;  it  is  an  every-day  occurrence  among 
pigeons,  depending  on  a  hundred  different 
notions  which  may  form  in  the  minds  of  the 
pigeons.  This  domination  of  the  strongest 
and  handsomest  over  the  weakest  and  ugliest 
is  the  law  of  life  among  human  beings  as  well 
as  animals.  This  survival  of  the  fittest  would 
not  be  true  if  it  was  the  law  and  the  rule  and 
the  custom,  call  it  what  you  will,  for  nest- 
mates  to  mate  for  the  reason  of  propinquity 
alone.  Now,  as  a  matter  of  fact  I  know  that 
there  are  a  great  many  Homer  fanciers  in  this 
country,  mostly  Englishmen,  who  have  bred 
pigeons  all  their  lives,  who  win  prizes  with 
Homers  as  well  as  other  kinds  of  pigeons, 
which  are  the  product  of  inbreeding.  There 
are  a  dozen  fanciers  within  fifty  miles  of  my 
plant  in  Massachusetts  who  come  to  my  place 
regularly  and  there  pick  out  young  birds  which  . 
we  band  with  seamless  bands  for  them  and 
sell  them  when  weaned,  and  I  know  for  a  fact 
because  some  have  told  me  so,  that  they  take 
these  birds  and  inbreed  them.  However, 
as  a  matter  of  business,  it  would  not  do  for  me 
or  for  anybody  selling  pigeons  in  the  open 
market  to  inbreed  them,  because  there  is  a 
sort  of  horror,  a  repugnance,  among  people 
generally,  especially  women,  against  that  sort 
of  thing.  Nearly  half  my  trade  is  among 
women,  and  I  think  that  as  a  rule  they  master 
pigeons  better  than  men,  and  I  don't  think  I 
would  sell  to  many  women  if  I  advocated 
and  practised  inbreeding.  If  you  are  a 
follower  of  poultry,  you  will  read  advice  from 
many  theorists  and  impractical  men,  who 
work  eight  hours  a  day  at  something  else,  but 
who  will  sit  at  a  desk  in  their  evening  hours 
and  with  a  pen  direct  breeding  operations  for 
anybody  offhand,  and  one  of  the  stock  re- 
marks of  these  folks,  unable  to  follow  their  own 
ideas  in  breeding  successfully  is,  when  some 
one  writes  them  that  his  or  her  pigeons  are  not 
raising  young  satisfactorily:  "Your  pigeons 
are  probably  inbred,  and  are  worthless,  being 
weak."  It  is  a  foolish  and  senseless  remark, 
because  it  is  a  guess,  and  nothing  more.  In 
my  Manual  I  decry  inbreeding  and,  as  I  say, 
do  not  practise  it,  because  I  do  not  think  it  is 
nature's  way.  An  animal  wants  a  handsome 
and  attractive,  or  otherwise  satisfactory  mate, 
and  is  willing  to  fight  for  it — this  is  nature's 
way.  While  I  am  on  this  subject,  I  \vill  tell 
why  people  fail,  as  some  do,  with  pigeons. 
There  are  generally  men  and  women  who  have 
failed  with  poultry,  and  with  everything.  It 
is  their  fault,  not  the  fault  of  the  pigeons.  If 
they  start  with  pigeons,  strong  and  rugged 


birds,  it  is  up  to  them  to  get  results.  I  have 
seen  people  start  with  pigeons  who  absolutely 
could  not  get  an  egg  or  a  squab  to  amount 
to  anything  for  montns,  and  then  sell  out  to 
somebody  of  sense  and  gumption  who  inside 
of  a  month  would  be  doing  so  well  with  the 
birds  that  he  would  buy  more.  Is  this  sur- 
prising? Not  if  you  have  had  much  expe- 
rience with  people  and  their  habits.  There  is 
a  large  percentage  of  folks  who  cannot  man- 
age their  own  eating  and  drinking  right;  their 
bowels  are  always  out  of  order;  they  are  dos- 
ing with  patent  medicines;  they  seldom  or 
never  bathe.  Others  who  look  after  them- 
selves perhaps  better  cannot  do  the  simplest 
things  of  life  successfully;  cannot  write  their 
names  legibly;  cannot  compose  a  letter  and 
address  the  envelope  correctly;  cannot  man- 
age their  children  so  as  to  hold  their  respect; 
cannot  keep  friends  with  their  neighbors;  can- 
not earn  money,  or  cannot  save  it;  and  so  on. 
Yet  many  of  these  people  (and  there  are 
hundreds  of  them  who  turn  to  a  new  thing  like 
squabs  for  the  long-sought  touchstone)  will 
take  hold  of  animal  breeding,  requiring  at  the 
outset,  and  all  the  time,  the  sterling  qualities 
of  patience  and  common  sense,  not  to  speak 
of  some  degree  of  skill  which  must  be  acquired, 
and  then  wonder  why  they  fail.  From  squabs 
they  go  to  bees,  or  vice  versa,  or  to  ginseng 
or  pecan  nuts,  or  truck  gardening,  or  poultry, 
but  never  back  again  to  something  at  which 
they  have  failed.  The  Creator  put  these 
things  into  the  world,  and  the  devil  has  put 
many  temptations  along  too,  to  winnow  out 
people,  to  separate  by  their  own  acts  the  wise 
from  the  foolish,  the  skilful  from  the  unskilful, 
the  good  from  the  bad,  etc.  The  acquisition 
of  a  flock  of  pigeons,  or  anything  else,  will  not 
turn  a  poor  tool  into  a  good  one. 

SPEAKS   OF  US  IN  HIGHEST  TERMS. 

Enclosed  find  draft  on  New  York  in  $10.25, 
for  which  please  ship  me  four  hundred  pounds 
mixed  pigeon  grain.  My  Homers  are  doing 
nicely.  I  have  only  lost  one  more  bird,  two  in 
all.  Quite  a  number  are  layin?,  a  few  setting. 
It  affords  me  pleasure  to  speak  in  the  highest 
terms  of  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company. 
— W.  B.  W.,  Arkansas. 

ONE  BIRD  SICK,  THE  ONLY  ONE  IN  A 
YEAR  AND  A  HALF  OF  BREEDING.     You 

no  doubt  remember  me  as  one  who  purchased 
two  lots  of  Homers  from  you  a  year  ago  last 
January.  I  am  now  prepared  to  sell  squabs 
as  my  enclosed  card  will  show  you.  I  send 
you  this  card  to  show  you  that  I  have  not  been 
asleep  in  the  business,  and  that  I  have  given 
constant  care  to  the  flock  ever  since  the  first 
day  I  asked  you,  What  is  a  squab?  Ha, ha. 
It  makes  me  laugh  to  think  that  1  was  so 
green.  I  now  have  one  good  customet  here 
who  gives  me  $3  a  dozen  for  them,  but  he  says 
they  are  not  selling  very  fast  this  time  of 
year  (May).  Others  said,  when  I  presented 


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STORIES   OF   SUCCESS    WITH    PLYMOUTH   ROCK    HOMERS 


my  card,  that  they  would  think  it  over  and  let 
me  know.  One  fellow  wanted  to  give  me 
$2.10  per  dozen:  what  do  you  think  of  that? 
He  did  not  get  them,  I  assure  you.  I  have  no 
other  birds  except  those  I  received  from  you, 
and  I  have  not  had  a  sick  one  among  them  in 
the  year  and  a  half,  with  the  exception  of  one 
that  had  a  large  lump  on  its  wing.  I  painted 
this  with  iodine.  It  moped  around  for  six 
weeks  or  more  but  now  it  and  its  faithful  mate 
are  building  a  nest.  Here  is  a  strange  freak 
of  nature  which  puzzles  ma.  I  have  a  pair  of 
young  birds  that  always  lay  four  eggs.  The 
first  four  did  not  hatch.  Gut  of  the  next  four 
they  hatched  one  bird.  The  third,  also  four 
eggs  and  one  bird.  I  have  separated  them  as 
I  found  them  to  be  nest  mates.  My  object  in 
writing  this  letter  to  you,  besides  informing 
you  of  my  success  thus  far,  is  to  ask  for  the 
address  of  some  one,  not  too  far  from  me,  to 
whom  I  can  sell  my  squabs  at  this  time  of  the 
year.  One  man  wrote  to  me  and  said  he 
would  buy  all  I  raised  "if  I  bought  the  breed- 
ers from  him."  But  nay  first  thoughts  were, 
of  course,  to  see  you  first. — F.  B.,  Ohio. 
(We  told  this  customer  where  to  ship  in  New 
York  City,  and  he  shipped  accordingly  and 
received  satisfactory  prices) . 

STARTED  WITH  24  OF  OUR  BIRDS  IN 
1902,  AND  NOW  HAS  700  OF  THE  FINEST 
EVER  SEEN.  In  July  of  1902  I  bought 
twenty-four  birds,  Homer  pigeons  for  breed- 
ers, from  you.  I  now  have  seven  hundred  of 
as  fine-looking  birds  as  any  one  ever  saw  and 
all  full  blooded  for  which  I  thank  you  for  the 
good  stock  sent  me. — C.  E.  L.,  Michigan. 

FIRST  ORDER  FOLLOWED  BY  A  SECOND. 

The  six  pairs  of  pigeons  were  received  O.  K. 
Enclosed  please  find  New  York  draft  for 
f21.92,  for  which  please  send  me  twelve  pairs 
Homers  and  two  dozen  nest-bowls. — D.  C.  S., 
Minnesota.  (A  third  order  followed  inside  of 
a  month  from  this  customer.) 

SQUABS  SURPASSING  ALL  EXPECTA- 
TIONS AND  BRINGING  $5.50  PER  DOZEN. 

Could  you  furnish  me  with  a  price-list  of  breed- 
ing stock  and  supplies  as  I  have  laisplaced  the 
one  you  sent  me  last  spring  with  my  National 
Standard  Squab  Book.  I  desire  to  state  that 
the  Homers  are  surpassing  all  expectations 
along  the  line  of  squabs  and  I  have  been 
getting  as  high  as  55.50  for  them  in  New  York. 
Wishing  you  continued  success  in  your  honest 
dealings. — A.  H.  T.,  Ohio. 

FIRST  ORDER  QUICKLY  FOLLOWED 
BY  ANOTHER.  The  twenty-four  pairs  of 
Extra  Homers  were  received  in  good  form  as 
you  know,  and  are  so  satisfactory  that  I  de- 
sire to  duplicate  the  order  and  enclose  here- 
with an  Adams  Express  money  order.  Please 
send  us  twenty-four  pairs  as  good  as  the 
others  as  soon  as  possible. — G.  P.  W.,  Con- 
necticut. 


FLOCK  DOUBLED  IN  THREE  WINTER 
MONTHS.  I  bought  some  pigeons  from  you 
about  Christmas.  I  am  pleased  more  than 
I  expected  to  be  with  them.  They  are  doing 
nicely.  I  have  doubled  my  lot  with  squabs 
from  them.  I  want  to  ask  you  if  it  would 
be  safe  to  let  them  out  into  the  flying  pen 
now.  You  see  I  have  had  them  about  three 
months  now. — A.  S.,  Virginia. 

THE  STATE  OF  WASHINGTON  IS  CER- 
TAINLY ALL  RIGHT  FOR  SQUAB  BREED- 
ING—WE ARE  SHIPPING  THERE  STEAD- 
ILY. Enclosed  you  will  find  a  Great  North- 
ern Express  money  order  for  $80,  for  which  I 
want  you  to  ship  me  forty-eight  pairs  of  your 
thoroughbred  Homers  as  soon  as  possible  for 
you  to  do  so.  I  sent  some  time  ago  to  you 
for  a  free  book  on  squab  raising  and  since 
then  have  read  up  your  National  Standard 
Squab  Book  on  squabs  and  looked  up  the 
markets  in  Seattle  and  Everett.  I  find  that 
there  is  a  better  market  for  squabs  than  any- 
thing else  I  know  of  at  present,  and  I  am  going 
to  devote  all  my  time  to  raising  them.  I  have 
a  building  almost  completed  for  the  first 
forty-eight  pairs.  Just  as  soon  as  I  get  them 
settled  to  business  I  will  send  for  forty-eight 
pairs  more.  I  have  seen  two  or  three  flocks 
of  your  birds  near  Seattle  and  must  say  they 
look  like  business  if  given  half  a  chance.  The 
owners  seemed  well  satisfied  witb  them,  but 
I  think  they  would  be  more  so  if  the  birds 
were  given  the  right  attention,  which  they 
did  not  look  to  have.— G.  T.,  State  of  Wash- 
ington. 

BEST  LOOKING  BIRDS  THE  EXPRESS- 
MAN HAD  EVER  SEEN.  The  birds  arrived 
here  yesterday  in  good  order.  They  are 
beauties.  The  expressman  said  that  they 
had  lots  of  birds  pass  through  here,  but  these 
were  the  best  he  had  ever  seen.  Thank  you 
for  the  extra  two  pairs  which  you  sent,  and 
for  such  fine  birds.  I  shall  build  a  fifteen  or 
twenty  unit  house  jusfr  as  soon  as  it  gets  a 
little  warmer,  and  I  shal!  want  a  lot  of  your 
best  Extras  to  fill  it;  none  but  the  best  for 
me. — H.  A.  D.,  Massachusetts. 

WANTS   THE   PURE    STOCK.     You   will 

soon  get  another  order  from  me,  because  I 
want  the  pun  stock  and  the  Plymouth  Rock 
Squab  Company  is  the  only  place  to  get  them 
—A.  C.  P.,  Oregon. 

MANUAL  GOOD.  SANE  AND  PRACTICAL 
—MODEL  OF  GOOD  ENGLISH— GOOD 
WCRK  APPRECIATED.  I  have  your  favor 
of  the  19th  inst.,  also  the  Manual,  and  beg  to 
thank  you  for  both.  I  have  read  your  book 
very  carefully.  It  is  not  one  of  my  habits 
to  go  out  of  the  ordinary  course  in  matters 
of  business;  but  I  think  I  know  good,  sane, 
practical  work  of  almost  any  kind  when  I 
see  it.  If  you  will  allow  me  to  say  so,  your 


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Manual  is,  from  every  point  of  view,  that  is, 
as  a  business  book,  a  model  of  the  rare  thing 
called  "  good "  English,  and  almost  as  a 
Naturalist's  standard  work — the  best  thing 
I  ever  saw.  This  letter  does  not  call  for  re- 
ply, but  it  does  no  harm  to  any  one  to  know 
that  a  good  piece  of  his  work  is  recognized 
and  appreciated  by  some  one  else  who  believes 
in  and  strives  to  do  good  work  himself.  I 
wish  you  continued  success. — F.  G.  A.,  San 
Francisco. 

HIS  NEIGHBOR  HAS  DONE  WELL  FOR 
NINE  MONTHS  AND  WILL  NOT  SELL  ANY. 
The  pigeons  came  two  hours  ahead  of  your 
letter  informing  me  of  the  shipment.  They 
arrived  in  fine  condition,  had  plenty  of  feed 
and  water,  and  were  delivered  promptly, 
and  I  am  pleased  with  them.  They  are 
beauties.  My  neighbor,  Mr.  Cole,  bought  six 
pail's  from  you  last  June  and  now,  nine 
months  later,  has  nearly  fifty  pigeons,  and 
will  not  sell  one  of  them  at  any  price.  I 
tried  all  over  this  city  of  sixty  thousand  peo- 
ple to  buy  six  pairs  of  pigeons  and  could  find 
only  one  pair  for  sale.  I  return  basket  today. 
Please  accept  thanks  for  your  prompt  de- 
livery.—R.  M.  T..  Ohio. 

TREATED  IN  AN  HONEST  AND  GEN- 
EROUS MANNER.  My  pigeons  arrived 
yesterday  morning  in  perfect  condition  and 
I  am  delighted  with  them.  They  are  beau- 
ties, and  I  want  to  say  you  have  kept  your 
word  to  the  letter  and  treated  me  in  an  hon- 
est and  generous  manner.  Return  basket 
today. — Mrs.  A.  L.,  Illinois. 

HE  IS  PROUD  OF  HIS  FIRST  PUR- 
CHASE. My  pigeons  arrived  safely  Satur- 
day in  fine  shape,  not  even  soiled.  I  am  very 
much  pleased  with  them  and  thank  you  for  the 
extra  pair.  They  are  a  fine  lot  of  birds,  and 
I  am  proud  of  them.  You  will  hear  from  me 
from  time  to  time. — V.  M.,  Virginia. 

CANADIAN  CUSTOMERS  PLEASED.  I 
take  pleasure  in  letting  you  know  we  received 
our  stock  in  very  good  condition.  We  re- 
ceived them  one  day  before  we  got  your  let- 
ter. We  got  them  home  and  with  much  sur- 
prise we  counted  fourteen  instead  of  twelve. 
We  return  many  thanks  to  you  for  your 
kindness  and  liberality.  They  are  doing 
nicely  .at  present.  They  are  lovely  birds. — 
L.  B.  S.,  Ontario,  Canada. 

FIFTY.  PAIRS  TO  START— THESE  DID 
WELL  ENOUGH  TO  MAKE  THE  CUS- 
TOMER RUN  HIS  ORDER  UP  TO  THREE 
HUNDRED  PAIRS  IN  THREE  MONTHS. 

Enclosed  find  check  for  $125,  for  which 
please  send  us  fifty  pairs  of  your  extra  breed- 
ing stock.  Hoping  same  will  be  satisfactory, 
and  if  pleased  with  stock  will  probably  want 
more  soon.  Please  ship  first  of  next  week  if 


convenient.  (Three  months  later.)  En- 
closed find  check  for  $385,  for  which  please 
send  me  two  hundred  and  fifty  pairs  Extra 
Homer  breeding  pigeons.  I  have  taken  credit 
of  $40  on  the  first  order  as  I  was  informed  at 
your  office  when  down  there,  if  the  order  was 
made  three  hundred  pairs  within  three  months 
I  could  have  a  rebate  on  them.  Hope  this  is 
satisfactory. — C.  W.  P.,  Rhode  Island. 

BEST  BIRDS  EVER  SEEN  IN  NEW 
JERSEY.  The  birds  you  shipped  me  are  a 
fine-looking  lot,  and  I  think  are  the  best  I 
have  ever  seen. — H.  J.  F.,  New  Jersey. 

FILL  REPRESENTATIONS  TO  THE  LET- 
TER. The  pigeons  arrived  safe  and  sound. 
They  fill  your  representations  to  the  letter. 
I  am  more  than  pleased  with  them  and  wish 
you  all  the  success  that  honest  dealing  en- 
titles you  to.— C.  A.  V.,  New  York. 

HE  EXHIBITED  HIS  PLYMOUTH 
ROCK  HOMERS  AT  THE  FAIR  AND  WON 
WITH  THEM.  I  took  some  of  my  pigeons 
bought  of  you  to  our  Fair  and  got  first  and 
second  premiums.  I  have  taken  good  care 
of  them.— W.  A.  C.,  New  York. 

"  WHAT  FINE  BIRDS,  AND  HOW 
LARGE  THEY  ARE."  I  received  the  pig- 
eons all  right.  Every  one  who  sees  the  birds 
says,  "  What  fine  birds,  and  how  large  they 
are.  I  never  saw  such  large  pigeons  before  !" 
and  it  is  just  what  I  think.  Thank  you  for 
sending  such  fine  birds. — S.  L.,  Michigan. 

TO  FLORIDA  IN  FINE  CONDITION.  I 
received  the  birds  shipped  by  you  to  me  last 
Friday,  having  made  the  trip  in  fine  condi- 
tion, and  I  feel  proud  of  them.  They  are 
certainly  beauties. — A.  C.  H.,  Florida. 

HE  HAS  NOT  LOST  A  BIRD,  YOUNG  OR 
OLD,  IN  BREEDING  FROM  PLYMOUTH 
ROCK  STOCK.  Will  you  please  give  me 
address  of  parties  who  buy  pigeon  manure? 
The  birds  purchased  of  you  one  year  ago 
next  month  have  done  well.  I  have  not  dis- 
posed of  any  and  have  not  lost  one  young  or 
old.  It  has  caused  considerable  talk  here- 
about, for  many  parties  have  pigeons  and 
have  lost  many  of  them.  Newcomb.  who 
bought  a  few  of  you  on  my  advice,  told  me 
he  wished  he  had  bought  a'll  of  you,  but  he 
bought  of  several  other  sources  and  has  been 
dissatisfied.  I  have  about  completed  my 
big  house  and  shall  soon  call  on  you  for  more 
birds. — A.  P.,  Massachusetts. 

THIS  WOMAN  IN  CONNECTICUT  OUT- 
GREW  ONE  HOUSE  AND  BUILT  UP  INTO  A 
FINE  PLANT.  It  is  some  time  since  you 
heard  from  me  and  so  I  will  write  a  few  lines  to 
show  how  I  am  getting  along  with  my  pig- 
eons. They  are  doing  fine.  I  have  squabs  all 
ages.  I  have  about  thirty-five  pairs  of  old 


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STORIES   OF    SUCCESS   WITH   PLYMOUTH    ROCK    HOMERS 


ones.  I  have  put  up  a  large  house  for  them. 
The  other  one  was  not  large  enough,  so  when  I 
get  them  in  a  large  place,  I  think  I  will  have  a 
fine  plant.— Mrs.  M.  K.,  Connecticut, 

ANOTHER  WOMAN  HAS  INCREASED 
HER  FLOCK  FROM  25  PAIRS  TO  275  BIRDS 
IN  A  YEAR.  You  will  recall  that  I  purchased 
twenty-five  pairs  of  breeding  stock  from  you 
about  one  year  ago.  They  are  all  doing 
nicely  now  and  I  have  about  two  hundred  and 
seventy-five  birds,  all  in  fine  condition. — Mrs. 
J.  F..  Connecticut. 

GOING  TO  BRANCH  OUT.  My  birds 
bought  of  you  are  doing  fine  and  I  am  going  to 
branch  out  into  the  business.  I  will  move 
from  New  Hampshire  to  Bridgewater,  Mass., 
in  the  spring  and  build  a  large  house  and  put 
in  all  your  birds. — H.  G.,  New  Hampshire. 

LARGE  FLOCK  RAISED  FROM  A  START 
WITH  SIX  PAIRS  EXTRA.  I  would  like  one 
hundred  bands  from  you,  as  I  need  them  now 
for  young  birds.  The  six  pairs  Extra  I 
bought  of  you  March  23,  1903,  have  done  fine, 
and  I  have  a  large  flock  raised  from  them. — 
L.  B.  R.  B.,  Massachusetts. 

BREEDING  ALL  THE  TIME  IN  MAINE.     I 

have  got  about  one  hundred  birds  now,  all 
raised  from  those  I  bought  from  you  last 
spring.  They  are  all  right,  healthy  and  breed- 
ing all  the  time.— J.  W.  S.,  Maine. 

GONE  TO  WORK  IN  A  NEW  HOME  IN 
DEAD  EARNEST.  The  nappies  arrived  all 
right,  and  we  are  well  pleased  with  them. 
Our  birds  have  gone  to  work  in  their  new 
forty-foot  house  in  dead  earnest.  Enclosed 
please  find  Pacific  Express  money  order,  for 
which  please  ship  us  by  express  No.  1  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Homers  and  Extra  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers  as  specified.  Kindly  rush  this 
order. — J.  A.  P.,  Missouri. 

WORKING  RIGHT  ALONG  IN  ALABAMA. 

Enclosed  you  will  find  a  post-office  order 
amounting  to  $15  for  which  please  send  me 
six  pairs  of  Extra  Homers.  This  is  my  second 
order  and  I  will  expect  some  extra  fine  birds. 
The  birds  purchased  of  you  last  February  are 
working  right  along.— B.  W.,  Alabama. 

THIS  MAN  HAD  SOME  FINE  HOMERS, 
BUT  WHEN  HE  SAW  THE  PLYMOUTH 
ROCKS  HE  HAD  TO  WILT.  Our  birds  are 
doing  fine  and  breeding  rapidly.  There  is  a 
man  about  one  and  a  half  miles  from  our  place 
who  thought  he  could  not  be  beat  with  his 
crowd  of  pigeons,  but  I  invited  him  to  my 
place  and  showed  him  my  birds.  He  gave  in 
right  away;  he  was  not  in  it  alongside  of  my 
birds.  The  size  of  my  squabs  at  three  or  four 
weeks  set  him  a-guessing.  He  wanted  to  buy 


of  me  right  away,  but  no,  I  told  him  he  should 
purchase  from  Boston,  for  I  did  not  have 
enough  myself  yet.  I  have  a  pair  I  do  not 
think  four  months  old  yet,  and  they  set  and 
have  a  pair  of  splendid  squabs  out  just  burst- 
ing with  flesh.  A  person  would  be  surprised 
to  see  the  flock  that  I  have  out  of  the  small 
number  of  birds  that  I  bought  last  fall  in 
September. — J.  B.,  New  York. 

FOLLOWED  DIRECTIONS  AND  THE 
BIRDS  WERE  QUICKLY  NEST  BUILDING. 

Please  pardon  my  delay  in  not  announcing  the 
safe  arrival  of  the  thirteen  pairs  of  fine  Homer 
pigeons.  I  followed  your  directions  as  near 
as  I  could,  and  I  am  glad  to  say  the  birds  are 
already  laying  and  building  nests.  I  returned 
the  basket  today.;  I  understand  that  my 
brother  ordered  twelve  pairs  of  birds  for  me, 
but  thirteen  came.  Please  accept  thanks  for 
the  extra  pair.— Mrs.  D.  W.  S.,  Georgia. 

STARTED  IN  1902  WITH  OUR  BIRDS  AND 
HAS  A  FINE  FLOCK  NOW.  In  October. 
1902,  you  sent  me  at  Oak  Park,  Illinois,  forty- 
eight  pairs.  I  came  to  this  place  two  years 
ago  and  now  have  my  lofts  filled  and  am  ready 
to  sell.  I  have  three  hundred  pairs  mated  and 
at  work.  They  are  as  nice  birds  as  you  sent 
me.— H.  W.  C.,  Michigan. 

BIRDS  PROVING  THEMSELVES  VERY 
SUCCESSFUL.  Being  pleased  with  the 
Homers  you  sent  us  and  finding  we  have  room 
in  our  building  for  another  dozen  birds,  we 
forward  you  an  express  money  order  for 
$16.92,  for  which  forward  six  pairs  of  Extra 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and  two  dozen  nest- 
bowls.  The  birds  are  proving  themselves 
very  successful.  Already  we  have  five  pairs 
on  nests. — I.  D.,  New  York. 

INSTRUCTIONS  CLEAR— AND  PEOPLE 
WHO  FOLLOW  THEM  ARE  SUCCESSFUL. 
I  have  your  instruction  book,  the  National 
Standard  Squab  Book.  It  is  the  clearest 
thing  in  the  way  of  a  guide  book  that  I  have 
ever  seen.— C.  F.  W.,  Oregon. 

STARTED  WITH  EIGHT  PAIRS  EXTRA 
AND  NOW  HAS  FORTY-FOUR.  Enclosed 
find  fifty  cents  for  which  please  send  me  at 
once  that  much  leg-banding  material.  I  need 
the  leg-banding  material  badly.  M_y  birds  are 
just  simply  doing  fine.  I  have  eighty-eight 
fine  birds  now.  I  think  that  is  doing  finely 
for  the  time  I  have  had  them,  and  had  such  a 
few  to  start  on.  I  started  with  eight  pairs. 
— Miss  S.  S.  G.,  Louisiana. 

THE  VERY  FINEST.  The  pigeons  arrived 
on  time  and  in  good  shape.  We  had  some 
very  fine  birds  but  no  better  than  these. 
Thank  you  for  your  prompt  attention. — A.  E. 
B.,  Pennsylvania. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB   COMPANY 

161 


OUR   PIGEONS    SHIPPED   NINE   THOUSAND    MILES,    ALL   ARRIVING 
ALIVE;  ONLY  TWO  OUT  OF  CONDITION 

Elmer  C.  Rice,  Esq.,  Treasurer, 

Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co.,  Boston,  Mass.,  U.  S.  A. 

Dear  Sir:  On  the  20th  of  this  month  I  had  the  pleasure  of  receiving  the 
fourteen  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homer  pigeons.  They  were  in  fine  condi- 
tion and  had  been  well  looked  after  on  the  voyage,  which  lasted  fifty-five 
days,  from  New  York  to  Colombo.  There  had  been  some  wars  amongst  the 
pigeons  on  the  voyage;  and  two  were  more  or  less  mauled,  but  they  had  been 
kept  separate  and  will,  no  doubt,  do  quite  well.  I  am  very  much  pleased  with 
them  and  thank  you  again  for  your  kindness. 

Yours  truly, 

(Mrs.)   F.  I.  SINCLAIR. 
Colombo,  Ceylon,  September  28,  1907. 

Note  by  E.  C.  Rice:  With  regard  to  the  distance  covered  by  the  above 
shipment,  the  agents  of  the  steamship  company  write  me  as  follows:  "  The 
actual  nautical  miles  from  New  York  to  Colombo  are  about  8600,  and  the  SS. 
Swazi  before  arriving  at  Colombo  stopped  at  Algiers,  Port  Said,  Aden,  Tuti- 
corin  and  other  ports,  which  brings  the  total  nautical  miles  up  to  about  9000." 


The  following  is  from  the  Philadelphia  Saturday  Evening  Post: 

MONEY  IN  SQUABS — The  Government  gives  a  practical  demonstration  of 
what  they  can  be  made  to  pay. 

It  has  long  been  known  by  practical  breeders  of  poultry  that  there  is 
money  in  raising  squabs.  Now  the  United  States  Government  has  given  to 
this  fact  official  confirmation,  based  on  scientific  tests. 

The  record  of  profit  reveals  the  great  opportunity  awaiting  those  who 
engage  in  this  industry.  In  the  practical  experiments  conducted  the  diet  of 
the  birds  consisted  of  wheat  at  eighty  cents  a  bushel,  sifted  cracked  corn  at  $1 
a  hundred  weight,  Kaffir  corn  at  ninety  cents  a  bushel,  millet  at  ninety  cents, 
hemp  at  $1.30  and  peas  at  $1.10  the  bushel.  At  these  rates  the  cost  of  feeding 
was  one-seventh  of  a  cent  a  day  for  each  bird,  or  about  fifty-two  cents  a  year. 

On  that  basis  the  net  annual  return  was  $1.50  a  pair.  There  were  four 
hundred  and  twenty-five  pairs  of  pigeons  in  the  flock  and  they  reared  four 
thousand  four  hundred  marketable  squabs  in  twelve  months. 

This  is  a  practical,  conservative  record,  bearing  the  government's  bona 
•fides,  and  may  be  duplicated  by  any  one  who  will  carefully  attend  to  the 
requirements  of  the  birds. 

162 


STORIES   OF    SUCCESS    WITH   PLYMOUTH   ROCK   HOMERS 


pany 

East 


PLEASED.  AND  ORDERS  MORE  SUP- 
PLIES. I  herewith  enclose  $2.46  in  express 
money  order  for  which  send  me  by  Adams 
Express  two  drinking  fountains  and  one  dozen 
wood  fibre  nest-bowls.  The  birds  which  I 
received  from  you  last  fall  are  doing  fine.  I 
am  well  pleased  with  them. — A.  E.  B.,  Penn- 
sylvania. 

SQUABS  ARE  HEAVY.  I  write  you  enclos- 
ing $1.50,  for  which  please  send  me  your 
Manual  and  one  dollar's  worth  of  the  best 
kind  of  leg-bands  for  pigeons.  I  have  about 
four  hundred  pigeons.  The  stock  came 
directly  from  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Com- 
ly  by  Mr.  Hulet.  He  sold  out  and  went 
st  and  I  bought  his  entire  stock.  They  are 
fine.  The  squabs  get  like  stones.  When 
people  ask  me  about  my  stock  I  tell  them  they 
are  from  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company. 
Am  I  right?  If  I  am  not,  tell  me  and  I  will 
quit  it. — J.  A.  M.,  State  of  Washington. 

SIX  WEEKS'  WORK.  In  taking  account 
of  stock  today  I  find  I  have  sixty-eight  nests 
containing  sixty-two  squabs,  the  oldest  just 
two  weeks  old,  and  fifty-six  eggs.  Do  you 
consider  this  a  fair  showing  for  the  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty-seven  pairs  of  birds  I  received 
from  you  about  six  weeks  ago?  One  female 
bird  died.  I  wish  to  thank  you  for  the  extra 
birds  sent  along  to  cover  this  emergency. — 
E.  E.  T.,  New  Jersey. 

Answer:  Yes,  we  consider  this  a  fair  showing 
for  six  weeks.  Do  not  believe  any  stories  you 
hear  or  see  printed  that  the  dealer  or  writer 
can  sell  pigeons  which  will  go  to  work  at  once 
as  soon  as  they  reach  their  new  home.  Some 
may  and  some  may  not.  but  this  is  a  matter 
which  is  settled  by  the  pigeons  themselves, 
and  anybody  attempting  to  control  the  mat- 
ter is  a  pretender. 

PLEASED  WITH  SECOND  ORDER.     The 

second  order  of  pigeons  came  in  good  shape 
and  the  crate  will  be  sent  back  today.  We 
are  very  much  pleased  with  the  birds. — G.  P. 
W.,  Connecticut. 

SMALL  SHIPMENT  DOES  WELL;  HE 
ACCORDINGLY  ORDERS  300  PAIRS  OF 
EXTRA  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS. 

The  pigeons  you  shipped  me  arrived  in  good 
condition  with  one  exception,  that  is,  one 
bird  seems  a  little  inactive  or  dumpy.  Will 
advise  you  later  if  the  bird  does  not  pick  up. 
(Later).  Herewith  please  find  check  for 
$67.17  for  which  you  will  send  me  by  freight 
at  once  the  following  bird  supplies:  Six 
hundred  and  twenty-four  wood  fibre  bowls, 
thirty  bath  pans,  nine  drinking  fountains, 
one  sprayer.  You  may  expect  an  order 
from  me  July  15  for  the  three  hundred  Extra 
Homers  as  per  yours  of  May  15. — J.  R.,  Ohio. 

HANDSOMEST  LOT  OF  PIGEONS  THIS 


PENNSYLVANIA.  BREEDER    HAS    EVER 

SEEN.  My  flock  consists  of  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  one  hundred  and  fifty  pairs,  and  in- 
cludes twenty-four  pairs  of  the  best  Homers, 
which  I  purchased  of  you  in  August,  1902 
for  $60.  The  balance  of  the  flock  is  bred 
from  these  birds,  and  they  are  the  handsomest 
lot  of  pigeons  I  have  ever  seen. — C.  L.,  Penn- 
sylvania. 

A  LONG  AND  SUCCESSFUL  RAIL 
JOURNEY  TO  NORTHWEST  TERRITORY, 
CANADA.  The  thirteen  pairs  of  Homers 
and  one  dozen  nesting  bowls  you  shipped 
May  27  arrived  in  condition  June  2,  being 
six  days  en  route.  They  have  a  good  home 
and  I  will  send  you  another  order  soon.  The 
barrel  of  freight  shipped  May  16  has  not  ar- 
rived yet.  Thank  you  for  prompt  and  court- 
eous treatment. — E.  L.  B.,  Northwest  Ter- 
ritory, Canada. 

WHITE    WHEAT    AND    RED    WHEAT. 

Would  it  be  all  right  to  feed  my  birds  white  . 
wheat?  I  have  much  trouble  getting  red 
wheat.  I  wish  you  would  tell  me,  as  I  do 
not  wish  to  run  any  chances,  as  my  birds  are 
doing  fine.  I  have  twelve  youngsters.  The 
first  hatch  is  setting  again,  also  the  second 
and  third  hatch.  If  I  would  run  any  risk 
in  feeding  white  wheat  let  me  know. — W. 
G.  S.,  Michigan. 

Answer:  White  wheat  is  all  right,  and  is 
fed  by  most  of  our  customers.  If  there  is 
any  tendency  to  looseness  caused  by  feeding 
white  wheat  instead  of  red  wheat  use  it  spar- 
ingly, or  feed  rice  to  offset. 

CUSTOMER  OF  THREE  YEARS' 
STANDING  HAS  RAISED  THEM  RAP- 
IDLY. The  original  birds  which  I  bought  of 
you  nearly  three  years  ago  have  increased  so 
rapidly  that  it  has  been  quite  a  task  to  care 
for  them  and  to  dispose  of  the  squabs.  I 
have  always  spoken  a  good  word  for  the  busi- 
ness and  your  company  in  particular,  and 
without  doubt  have  made  business  for  you. 
— H.  C.,  Michigan. 

HAS    THE    ADVANTAGE  OF    HIS 

FRIENDS.  The  five  pigeons  you  sent  to 
replace  the  four  I  returned  and  the  one  that 
died  were  received  today  in  good  condition, 
and  I  take  pleasure  in  reporting  that  they 
are  entirely  satisfactory,  unless  one  should 
prove  to  be  a  cock;  but  evsn  if  that  is  the 
case  I  shall  enter  no  complaint,  as  you  have 
been  so  entirely  f  air.  I  am  very  much  pleased 
with  the  birds  and  expect  good  results  from 
them.  Mv  friends  who  were  not  pleased, 
with  the  first  lot  I  ordered  and  received  some 
white  Homers  from  a  dealer  in  your  State, 
but  are  far  from  pleased  with  them.  They 
now  think  that  I  have  the  advantage  of  them, 
and  have  been  well  treated  by  you.  I  shall 


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STORIES    OF    SUCCESS    WITH    PLYMOUTH   ROCK   HOMERS 


certainly  have  a  good  word  for  you  when  an 
occasion  offers. — R.  H.  S.,  Kentucky. 

STARTED  WITH  EIGHTY  PAIRS  EX- 
TRA, BRED  THEM  TO  FIVE  HUNDRED 
PAIRS.  What  will  you  give  me  for  my  en- 
tire stock  of  Homer  pigeons?  I  have  from 
one  thousand  to  twelve  hundred  birds,  all 
strong  and  healthy,  and  from  your  best  stock 
of  birds.  I  am  compelled  to  sell  for  the 
reason  that  I  have  taken  this  hotel  and  it 
takes  all  my  time  to  look  after  it.  Hope  to 
hear  from  you  by  return  mail.  —  H.  C. 
F.,  Missouri.  (This  customer  started  with 
eighty  pairs  of  our  Extra  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers.) 

HAS  150  PAIRS  OF  THE  FINEST  HOM- 
ERS IN  THE  STATE  OF  COLORADO.  About 
a  year  and  one-half  ago  I  bought  fifty  pairs 
of  your  Homer  pigeons.  I  have  now  one 
hundred  and  fifty  pairs  of  the  finest  Homers 
in  Colorado.  Fifty  pairs  are  the  original 
ones  that  I  got  from  you;  the  rest  I  have 
saved  from  my  young  ones. — D.  L.,  Colorado. 

BOTHERED  BY  MICE.  I  wrote  you  that 
my  birds  were  not  doing  well.  Since  writ- 
ing the  same  two  hens  are  setting,  and  from 
the  amount  of  driving  going  on  I  hope  to 
have  them  all  at  work  in  a  few  weeks.  Since 
my  last  letter  to  you  I  have  been  setting 
traps  and  have  caught  seven  or  eight  mice. 
I  suppose  that  is  what  has  been  bothering 
them. — F.  H.  M.,  Tennessee. 

DEATH  OF  AN  OLD  AND  VALUED 
CUSTOMER.  My  brother-in-law  having  died 
very  suddenly  in  New  York,  three  weeks 
ago,  where  he  had  gone  a  few  days  on  busi- 
ness, his  squabbery  is  left  without  any  one  to 
carry  it  on.  The  Homers  he  got  of  you  two 
summers  ago,  in  1903,  two  dozen  pairs,  have 
done  very  well  indeed,  owing  to  the  excellent 
care  he  gave  them.  They  were  for  his  own 
pleasure,  so  he  has  not  sold  any  squabs,  but 
used  them  for  the  table  and  to  send  to  friends. 
I  should  think  there  are  nearly  two  hundred 
birds  in  the  two  pens  at  present.  What 
prices  should  I  ask  for  them?  I  have  writ- 
ten to  you  knowing  what  confidence  my 
brother-in-law  had  in  your  judgment,  and 
that  under  the  circumstances  you  could  help 
me  dispose  of  the  pigeons  advantageously. — 
Miss  G.  M.,  Maine. 

TREATED  FINELY  —  SQUARE  DEAL- 
ING. In  reply  to  my  inquiry  I  received  your 
answer  which  was  very  satisfactory,  and 
have  shown  it  to  some  of  my  friends  who 
thought  that  I  had  been  fooled  in  buying  of 
you.  They  now  think  that  I  have  been 
treated  finely  by  you.  I  will  say  that  I  ap- 
preciate your  square  dealing  and  will  speak 
a  good  word  for  you,  as  there  are  quite  a 
number  here  that  are  going  into  the  busi- 


ness, who  have  been  watching  the  results  of 
mine.— W.  W..  Rhode  Island. 

STARTED  WITH  FIVE  HUNDRED 
COMMON  PIGEONS  AND  MADE  A  FAIL- 
URE. A  short  time  ago  we  put  up  a  build- 
ing after  the  plans  which  I  purchased  of  you, 
and  put  in  five  hundred  and  twenty  common 
pigeons.  Since  then  we  have  discovered 
that  we  made  a  mistake.  The  flock  is  a 
failure  in  more  ways  than  one.  We  got  one 
hundred  and  sixty-two  pairs  of  birds  from  a 
party  we  did  not  know,  and  the  birds  were 
sick  when  we  got  them.  We  received  them 
on  a  Saturday  afternoon,  and  on  Monday 
they  were  dying.  After  losing  quite  a  few, 
the  cause  of  which  we  were  not  able  to  ascer- 
tain, we  have  finally  decided  to  start  over 
again.  We  are  going  to  put  in  Homers  and 
start  on  a  more  cautious  scale.  We  are  go- 
ing to  get  rid  of  all  these  birds,  clean  out  the 
building  and  start  anew.  We  have  tried 
the  common  pigeons  and  have  been  convinced 
that  they  are  not  the  right  stock.  As  we 
are  new  in  the  business  we  have  a  great  deal 
to  learn,  and  will  have  to  get  our  informa- 
tion from  those  who  we  are  sure  do  know. 
Remember,  we  are  willing  to  pay  for  the  in- 
formation. If  there  is  any  charge  please 
name  the  price  and  we  will  remit.  We  are 
beginners  and  would  like  to  make  a  success 
of  the  business,  and  do  not  expect  to  get  for 
nothing  information  that  has  probably  cost 
some  one  both  time  and  money. — J.  D.  C., 
Pennsylvania. 

Answer:  We  do  not  think  you  read  our 
Manual  before  buying  your  common  pigeons, 
or  if  you  did,  what  we  say  about  common 
pigeons  there  must  have  escaped  your  atten- 
tion. Common  pigeons  are  useless  in  com- 
parison with  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  and  it 
is  unwise  to  experiment  with  them. 

GEORGIA  PREACHER  FINDS  THEM 
SPLENDID.  Enclosed  I  send  you  post- 
office  money  order,  for  which  please  send  me 
one  leg  band  outfit.  The  birds  you  sent  me 
are  doing  splendid. — Rev.  L.  H.  H.,  Georgia. 

SECOND  SHIPMENT— FIRST  LOT  IS 
HARD  AT  WORK.  Enclosed  find  express 
money  order  for  $20.  Please  express  to  my 
address  twelve  pairs  Homer  pigeons.  The 
first  l;t  you  expressed  to  me  is  hard  at 
work  and  making  fine  headway. — G.  F.  T., 
Alabama. 

INCREASED  FROM  TWELVE  PAIRS 
TO  TWO  HUNDRED  PAIRS  IN  TWENTY 
MONTHS.  I  have  somewhat  about  four 
hundred  pigeons  that  are  most  all  bred  from 

rur  best  stock.     They  are  a  nice  lot  of  birds, 
started   with   twelve   pairs  of  your   Extra 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  twenty  months  ago. 
— G.  P.,  Massachusetts. 


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THREE  HUNDRED  PAIRS  SHIPPED  TO 
THIS  CUSTOMER,  EVERY  BIRD  IN  THE 
BEST  OF  CONDITION.  Your  favor  of  the 
llth  inst.  received  on  my  return  home  Friday 
night,  and  would  have  been  answered  but  for 
the  fact  that  1  had  quite  a  busy  time,  partially 
through  outside  business  and  partly  on  ac- 
count of  arrival  of  the  birds.  I  wish  to  tender 
my  most  hearty  thanks  for  the  manner  in 
which  you  have  carried  out  your  part  of  the 
transaction.  Every  one  of  the  312  pairs  of 
birds  seems  to  be  perfect  in  every  respect,  and 
they  have  already  been  admired  by  every  one 
who  has  seen  them.  The  twelve  pairs  Extra 
which  you  so  generously  presented  me  for  my 
nephew  have  been  forwarded  to  him,  and  I 
feel  sure  will  greatly  please  him.  I  shall  see 
him  possiblv  Monday  next  week  on  my  next 
trip,  and  will  thoroughly  instruct  him.  Once 
in  a  great  while  I  get  to  Boston.  Next  time  I 
am  there  I  shall  do  myself  the  honor  of  calling 
on  you  to  see  your  plant,  so  I  can  enlarge  mine 
on  the  same  lines  or  at  least  get  s  >me  ideas  of 
that  end.  Thank  you  again  most  heartily  — 
G.  F.,  New  York. 

GOOD  LUCK  WITH  THEM  IN  NEBRASKA. 

I  bought  twelve  Homer  pigeons,  or  six  pairs, 
of  you  nearly  a  year  ago,  with  which  I  have 
had  fairly  good  luck,  and  I  may  order  more 
birds  of  you  in  the  future,  as  I  intend  enlarg- 
ing my  plant  soon.  But  I  want  to  ask  a 
favor  of  you  today.  It  is  this:  Will  you  give 
me,  on  the  enclosed  card,  the  name  of  the 
tanning  company  to  whom  you  sell  your  pig- 
eon manure? — L.  S.  M.,  Nebraska. 

BIRDS  BREEDING  WELL.  Please  find 
enclosed  express  money  order  for  $5.34,  for 
which  ship  me  by  Wells-Fargo  Express  four 
dozen  nest-bowls  and  leg-band  outfits.  My 
birds  are  doing  very  well.  I  have  twelve 
squabs.— H.  H.  S.,  New  York. 

SECOND  ORDER  TO  COME  BECAUSE  OF 
GOOD  WORK  IN  MARYLAND.  We  enclose 
you  herewith  check  for  $11.52.  Will  you 
kindly  send  us  at  your  earliest  convenience 
twelve  dozen  nest-bowls.-  We  are  glad  to 
report  that  the  pigeons  received  from  you  a 
few  months  ago  are  doing  nicely  and  we  expect 
to  order  more  shortly. — M.  P.  P.,  Maryland. 

THIRD  ORDER  FROM  INDIANA  MAN. 
Please  ship  me  at  once  twelve  pairs.  I  en- 
close draft  f :  ,r  same.  This  is  my  third  order. — 
V.  N.,  Indiana. 

SECOND  ORDER  FROM  ILLINOIS  WOM- 
AN. Please  find  enclosed  express  order  for 
$30.  Send  me  twelve  pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers.  This  is  my  second  order. — 
Mrs.  J.  W.  G.,  Illinois. 

A  MINISTER  ENCOURAGED  TO  GO 
AHEAD.  The  pigeons  I  purchased  of  you 


last  August  (nine  months  ago)  are  doing  well, 
but  I  have  so  far  found  it  impossible  to  go  into 
the  house  for  live  minutes  or  so  without  all 
the  birds  leaving  the  nests.  Can  you  tell  me 
how  to  obviate  this?  Will  you  be  kind 
enough  to  inform  me  about  how  much  money 
it  will  take  to  build  a  house  including  heating 
plant  and  flying  pens  in  first-class  shape  for 
fifteen  hundred  pairs  of  birds?  You  will 
greatly  oblige  me.— Rev.  L.C.H.A.,  New  York. 

SECOND  ORDER;  FIRST  SHIPMENT 
WORKING  WELL.  Enclosed  please  find 
Adams  Express  money  order  for  $15.96  to 
pay  for  six  pairs  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Hom- 
ers for  squab  raising,  and  one  dozen  bowls. 
The  birds  first  bought  are  doing  well,  and  I 
am  well  pleased  with  them. — L.  D.  P.,  Illinois. 

SECOND  ORDER  WITHIN  ONE  MONTH. 

Herewith  find  draft  for  $40.75,  for  which 
please  send  me  two  crates  of  your  Homer 
pigeons  and  one  drinking  fountain,  by  Ameri- 
can Express,  to  my  address.  This  is  my 
second  order  within  one  month.  I  am  well, 
pleased  with  the  first  shipment. — L.  D.,  Iowa. 

GOOD  SHOWING  MADE  BY  OUR  BIRDS 
IN  ONE  MONTH  AFTER  ARRIVAL.  I  am 

haying  such  good  luck  I  thought  I  would 
write  you  about  it.  Just  one  month  ago  to- 
day the  9th  of  May,  I  received  my  thirteen 
pairs  of  birds  from  you.  I  now  have  eight 
squabs  from  four  pairs,  and  six  more  pairs 
setting.  The  two  hens  that  were  in  bad  shape 
upon  arrival  are  getting  better,  but  have  not 
nested  yet,  and  the  thirteenth  hen  I  think  is 
going  light  from  too  hard  driving  by  the  cock. 
He  drove  her  all  the  time  and  pulled  out  half 
her  feathers,  but  he  has  mated  with  another 
hen  now  and  doesn't  bother  any.  What  do 
you  think  of  this  for  so  short  a  time  ?  I  have 
as  fine  a  home  for  them  as  can  be  built— built 
just  as  you  say  with  a  fly  ten  by  ten  by  twenty 
feet,  with  a  big  load  of  lake  sand  for  the  floor, 
and  keep  the  squab  house  cleaner  than  lots  of 
kitchens  I  know  of. — C.  G.  A.,  Iowa. 

EXCELLENT  BIRDS  AND  EXCELLENT 
CARE  FROM  MELROSE  TO  NEW  MEXICO. 

The  pigeons  arrived  safely  last  Saturday  even- 
ing; each  and  every  one  of  them  was  in  perfect 
trim  and  must  have  had  excellent  care  on  the 
way,  as  not  one  seemed  in  the  least  discom- 
posed by  the  six  days'  journey.  Your  kind- 
ness in  sending  us  the  extra  pair  I  do  assure 
you  is  most  highly  appreciated.  We  are 
delighted  with  the  bi  -ds  and  as  soon  as  I  return 
from  my  summer  and  fall  trip,  will  send  you  a 
large  order.— Mrs.  T.  H.,  New  Mexico. 

IN  THE  STATE  OF  WASHINGTON.     You 

will  find  stamps  to  the  amount  of  $2  for  which 
kindly  mail  me  one  hundred  aluminum  V- 
shaped  \e?  bands  for  pigeons.  I  am  glad  to 
tell  you  that  the  pigeons  are  doing  nicely. — 
G.  A.  T..  Washington. 


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STORIES    OF    SUCCESS    WITH    PLYMOUTH   ROCK   HOMERS 


THIS  WOMAN  IS  POSTMASTER  IN  HER 
TOWN— SHE  STARTED  IN  1903  WITH  OUR 
BIRDS  AND  THIS  IS  WHAT  SHE  HAS 
DONE.  In  July,  1903,  I  purchased  a  few 
birds  from  you.  I  have  bought  no  others  but 
have  now  got  over  a  hundred  and  would  like 
some  advice  relative  to  shipping  squabs. 
Will  it  pay  to  ship  one  or  two  dozen  at  a  time 
to  Boston,  and  will  you  tell  me  who  would  be 
reliable  parties  to  ship  to?  As  I  told  you  in 
my  first  letter,  this  is  a  somewhat  isolated 
place;  however,  there  are  quite  a  number 
watching  my  experiment,  as  I  have  the  only 
store  here  and  have  recently  been  appointed 
postmaster.  Every  one  notices  the  birds  and 
my  success  will  probably  bring  you  orders.  I 
have  lost  only  one  bird  and  that  one  by  acci- 
dent; no  sickness  or  lice  in  my  flock  at  any 
time.— Miss  L.  K.,  New  Hampshire. 

PLEASED  WITH  FIRST  LOT,  WILL  OR- 
DER ANOTHER.  I  am  so  well  pleased  with 
the  coop  of  birds  shipped  me  that  as  soon  as  I 
get  my  house  built  and  nappies  in,  will  order 
another  coop  of  your  highest-priced  birds. — 
R.  H.  N.,  Georgia. 

AN  IMPORTANT  STORY  TOLD  IN  FEW 
WORDS— THIS  CUSTOMER  IN  PENNSYL- 
VANIA FOUND  A  LARGE  FLOCK  OF 
PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  BY  HIS 
EXPERIENCE  BEYOND  REPROACH. 
Please  ship  balance  of  my  order  of  Extra 
Homers  (one  hundred  pairs  due  me)  at  earliest 
moment.  Kindly  telegraph  night  of  ship- 
ment. The  first  lot  (two  hundred  pairs)  are 
beyond  reproach. — C.  K.,  Pennsylvania. 

REACHED  TEXAS  IN  GOOD  SHAPE- 
CUSTOMER  SATISFIED.  I  beg  to  advise 
you  that  the  pigeons  reached  here  yesterday 
all  in  good  shape.  So  far  I  am  very  much 
pleased  with  them  and  with  your  prompt 
shipment  and  good  treatment.  I  hope  to  send 
you  another  order  soon  for  a  dozen  pairs. — 
A.G.  M.,  Texas. 

ALL  AND  MORE  THAN  EXPECTED.  On 

Saturday  I  went  out  to  my  country  place  and 
found  the  pigeons.  They  are  all  and  more 
than  I  expected  and  are  in  every  way  satis- 
factory. I  presume  my  man  will  return  the 
empty  pigeon  crates  this  week. — H.  A.  K., 
Illinois. 

SQUABS  FROM  OUR  EXTRA  PLYMOUTH 
ROCK  HOMERS  WEIGHING  \Q%,  10^ 
AND  \\%  POUNDS  TO  THE  DOZEN.  My 

first  shipment  of  squabs  will  be  made  April 
11.  So  far  my  squabs  have  averaged  ten 
and  one-quarter,  ten  and  one-half  and  eleven 
and  one-half  pounds  to  the  dozen.  If  you  can 
give  me  any  data  necessary  tor  spring  and 
summer  it  will  be  appreciated. — C.  M., 
Michigan.  (This  customer  started  with  four 
hundred  pairs  of  our  Extra  Homers.) 


INCREASED  FROM  A  DOZEN  PAIRS  TO 
250.  I  bought  a  dozen  pairs  of  birds  from 
you  two  years  ago,  and  now  have  two  hundred 
and  fifty.  Is  that  doing  well?  Will  you 
kindly  inform  me  by  return  mail  how  you 
separate  the  pigeon  dung  from  the  other 
matter  it  gets  mixed  with,  and  I  will  be  greatly 
obliged.— F.  M.  F.,  Iowa. 

INSIDE  TWO  MONTHS  HAS  YOUNG 
BIRDS  BEING  RAISED  IN  A  SEPARATE 
PEN.  I  bought  a  dozen  pairs  of  Homers  of 
you  and  received  them  March  1,  two  months 
ago.  They  have  mated  and  produced  quite  a 
number  of  squabs.  I  have  the  squabs  in  a 
separate  house,  as  I  intend  to  raise  them  for  a 
year  or  so  until  I  increase  my  nock.  1  have 
been  advised  to  pull  out  the  tail  feathers  of  the 
squabs  when  they  are  old  enough  to  put  into  a 
house  by  themselves,  as  it  would  decrease  the 
death  rate  among  them,  as  all  their  vitality 
can  go  to  the  bird  and  not  into  the  tail  feath- 
ers. Is  there  anything  in  this  advice  ? — J.  W. 
W,  Rhode  Island. 

Answer:  We  believe  it  is  best  not  to  pull  the 
tail  feathers  out  of  the  young.  We  have  never 
done  it  ourselves.  Certainly  the  Creator  does 
not  pull  out  the  tail  feathers  from  these  young 
birds  when  they  are  weaned. 

RECREATION  FOR  AN  IOWA  MINISTER. 
The  twenty-six  birds  came  in  good  shape, 
apparently  no  worse  for  the  journey.  Most 
of  them  are  active.  I  am  well  pleased  with 
the  birds.  We  are  making  friends  rapidly, 
some  of  them  eating  almost  at  once  out  of  my 
hand.  I  wish  them  to  do  well,  and  as  soon  as 
I  get  accustomed  to  their  ways  it  is  my  inten- 
tion to  put  in  enough  stock  to  make  their  care 
worth  while.  I  wish  to  show  my  appreciation 
of  the  way  in  which  the  order  was  filled. — Rev. 
N.  F.  D.,  Iowa. 

IOWA  LADY  GREATLY  PLEASED.  I 

am  greatly  pleased  with  my  flock  and  expect 
to  send  another  order  sometime  later. — Miss 
A.  A.,  Iowa. 

PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  THE  BEST 
IN  COMPARISON  WITH  ALL  OTHERS.  I 

received  the  birds  in  good  shape  and  the  grain 
and  gravel.  The  birds  are  doing  well.  I 
have  got  two  sets  of  squabs  and  five  more 
pairs  on  eggs.  The  reason  I  did  not  write  you 
before  is,  I  went  around  to  different  people 
that  have  had  pigeons  from  other  places  and 
the  same  people  have  seen  your  stock;  and 
they  all  say  yours  is  the  best  I  shall  give  you 
more  orders  when  my  pocketbook  will  permit 
me.  I  think  you  do  your  best  and  I  thank 
you  again  for  the  nice  big  birds  you  sent  me. — 
J.  H.  H.,  Michigan. 

MADE  THEMSELVES  AT  HOME  IN  KEN- 
TUCKY. I  received  from  you  in  March  two 
dozen  birds.  They  have  been  laying  for  over 
a  month  and  I  have  now  (May)  four  pairs  of 


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young  birds.  I  am  very  much  pleased  with 
them  and  the  way  they  have  taken  to  their 
new  conditions. — R.  P.  W.,  Kentucky. 

GOT  A  GOOD  START.  The  birds  are  doing 
fine  now.  I  have  seven  pairs  young  and  two 
on  eggs  since  March  first. — L.  C.  M.,  New 
York. 

REMARKABLY  WELL  IN    SHORT  TIME. 

Several  weeks  ago  I  received  one  dozen  of 
your  Homer  pigeons  from  you  for  which  I  paid 
$10.  These  are  all  mated  up  and  doing  fine, 
except  two.  Four  of  them  are  setting  and 
another  one  will  be  setting  in  two  or  three 
days.  I  think  this  is  doing  remarkably  well 
for  the  short  time  I  have  had  them,  as  I  did 
not  expect  them  to  lay  until  at  least  three 
weeks  after  they  had  been  here. — B.  W., 
North  Carolina. 

SELLING  SQUABS  AS  FAST  AS  THEY 
COME  AND  GETTING  ORDERS  FOR 
MORE— ANOTHER  SMART  WOMAN.  Find 
enclosed  post-office  money  order  and  send 
me  eighteen  pairs.  The  last  lot  I  got  were 
$15  for  six  pairs;  also  want  two  extra  hens 
for  two  extra  cocks  which  I  have.  I  have 
been  saving  up  some  of  my  young  during  the 
fall  and  winter  months  and  have  two  extra 
cocks.  Am  selling  everything  as  fast  as  they 
come  and  even  engaging  ahead  most  of  the 
time.  The  Country  Club  manager  spoke  to 
me  a  day  or  two  ago  to  try  and  have  squabs 
for  their  little  dinner  parties,  which  will  begin 
to  be  popular  about  June,  and  as  I  have  two 
standing  orders  at  present  for  all  I  have  to 
spare  I  must  put  in  some  more  breeders.  I 
have  about  sixty  birds  now.  Of  the  six  pairs 
ordered  last  fall,  one  hen  died  within  a  week 
with  diarrhoea. — Miss  J.  M.,  Illinois. 

BIRDS  BREED  SO  FAST  THAT  HE 
HAS  NO  MORE  ROOM  FOR  THEM.  I  have 
about  seventy  pigeons.  They  are  six  months 
to  one  year  old.  What  can  you  allow  me  on 
them  toward  more  breeders?  These  birds 
are  all  raised  from  stock  I  bought  of  you. 
The  reason  I  want  to  exchange  them  is  be- 
cause my  house  is  too  small  for  them  and  I 
have  no  more  room.  I  am  going  to  put  up 
a  large  building  in  the  spring  and  then  I  can 
take  care  of  more.  I  am  satisfied  there  is 
money  in  the  business  if  any  one  can  get 
started  right. — H.  A.  M.,  Massachusetts. 

A  BRACE  OF  SQUABS  BRED  FROM 
PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  WEIGHED 
OVER  TWO  POUNDS.  I  weighed  two 
squabs  from  your  birds  and  they  weighed 
just  two  pounds,  two  ounces. — J.  A.  O.,  New 
Hampshire. 

BEST  HOMERS  IN  HIS  FLOCK— 
THEIR  SQUABS  BRING  HIM  THIRTY- 
FIVE  CENTS  APIECE  FROM  BOSTON 


HOTELS    ALL    THE    YEAR   ROUND.     The 

birds  I  purchased  from  you  are  the  cream  of 
the  flock.  I  have  been  selling  the  squabs 
at  the  Boston  hotels  for  thirty-five  cents 
apiece  the  year  round,  and  Nathan  Robbins, 
at  the  Quincy  Market,  was  glad  to  take 
them  at  $3.50  per  dozen.  I  have  saved  a 
few  young  birds,  some  of  the  very  finest.— 
C.  L.  P.,  Massachusetts. 

KANSAS    MARKET    IS    LOOKING    UP. 

The  birds  arrived  in  good  order  and  I  am 
today  well  pleased  with  them.  I  think 
some  of  them  have  as  fine  plumage  as  I  ever 
saw  on  a  pigeon.  There  is  a  party  here  in 
town  that  has  a  flock  but  they  are  not  first- 
class  birds,  yet  he  gets  $2.50  per  dozen  for 
the  squabs  and' could  sell  five  times  as  many 
if  he  had  them  in  Kansas  City.  We  are 
favorably  located  here,  sixty-five  miles  to 
Kansas  City,  forty  miles  to  St.  Jo.,  Missouri, 
and  twenty-five  miles  to  Topeka,  and  we 
ought  to  do  well.  If  I  can  get  hold  of  a  place 
just  out  of  town  I  will  increase  my  flock  next 
spring  or  possibly  this  fall. — C.  H.  K.,  Kansas. 

RATS  TROUBLED  HIM.  I  have  not 
bought  a  bird  since  you  sent  me  one  hundred 
pairs  of  Homers.  At  first  they  did  not  do 
much.  The  very  hard  winter  we  had  and 
I  being  away  in  New  York  most  of  the  winter, 
and  the  birds  not  having  the  proper  care,  of 
course  they  did  not  do  much;  but  now  they 
are  raising  "Cain,"  and  they  are  chasing 
each  other  to  the  nests.  I  now  have  about 
two  hundred  young  ones  that  escaped  the 
rats,  and  two  hundred  and  twenty-two  eggs 
hatching.  I  am  satisfied  with  them  and  they 
must  have  been  strong  and  hardy  birds  to 
have  lived.  I  have  lost  as  many  as  one  hun- 
dred birds  by  rats.  I  have  tried  everything, 
and  am  now  laying  cement  floors  on  three 
barns,  but  guess  I  will  have  to  build  new 
buildings.  I  will  mail  you  a  photograph  of 
the  place  in  a  week  or  so.  I  have  not  sold 
a  bird  as  yet,  but  have  had  plenty  of  chances. 
— C.  M.  S.,  New  York. 

ATTRACTED  MANY  ADMIRERS  IN 
THIS  EXPRESS  OFFICE  IN  THE  STATE 
OF  WASHINGTON.  In  acknowledging  re- 
ceipt of  the  six  pairs  Extra  Homers  I  wish  to 
thank  you  for  the  additional  pair,  and  to 
say  that  they  reached  me  in  the  pink  of  con- 
dition. My  delivery  man  told  me  that  many 
persons  copied  your  address  from  the  basket 
at  the  front  of  the  express  office,  where  they 
attracted  considerable  attention.  The  re- 
markably beautiful  black  bird  I  have  named 
Black  Champion  and  his  consort  Queen. 
She  will  hatch  next  week.  At  present  I  have 
five  squabs,  one  egg  falling  to  hatch.  If 
beauty  counts  for  anything,  the  birds  are 
worth  the  price. — Mrs.  P.  M.  V.,  State  of 
Washington. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB   COMPANY 

167 


STORIES    OF    SUCCESS    WITH    PLYMOUTH   ROCK   HOMERS 


MANUAL  PRACTICAL  AND  BEST.  Your 
Manual  came  to  hand  and  can  see  that  it  is 
a  book  everybody  should  have  who  may  be 
interested  in  pigeons.  I  have  had  birds  for 
eight  years  and  read  all  kinds  of  books.  I 
think  yours  is  the  best  which  can  be  had. — 
H.  E.  E.,  Pennsylvania. 

HIGHLY    SPOKEN    OF    IN    VIRGINIA. 

Will  you  kindly  send  me  your  price  list  of 
books  and  circulars  giving  your  prices,  etc. 
Being  very  much  interested  in  this  industry 
and  expecting  soon  to  go  'into  business,  I 
wish  to  get  your  prices  and  information.  I 
have  heard  your  company  spoken  very  highly 
of  here  in  Virginia  and  wish  to  get  acquainted 
with  you. — J.  W.  K.,  Virginia. 

A  GUARANTEE  WHICH  GUARANTEES. 

The  two  sick  birds  are  improving  and  are 
almost  as  lively  as  the  others.  Your  offer 
to  make  them  good  in  case  they  did  not  get 
better  shows  that  your  guarantee  means 
something.  A  good  many  persons  have  seen 
them  and  all  agree  that  they  are  far  ahead 
of  the  ordinary  run  of  pigeons,  and  any  one 
who  understands  anything  at  all  about  live- 
stock of  any  kind  can  see  it  at  a  glance. — 
J.  G.,  Pennsylvania. 

A  CUSTOMER  IN  THE  BERMUDA 
ISLANDS  GETS  HIS  HOMERS  IN  GOOD 
ORDER.  The  pigeons  arrived  here  all  safe 
on  Monday,  December  5.  One  of  them  is  a 
little  dull,  and  we  have  separated  it  from  the 
others  and  hope  that  it  will  get  all  right. — 
G.  S.,  Bermuda  Islands. 

PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  HAVE 
THE  CALL  IN  JERSEY  CITY.  Enclosed 
find  remittance  for  which  please  send  me  six 
pairs  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  by  Adams  Ex- 
press. If  these  are  satisfactory  and  as  nice 
as  some  of  your  birds  I  have  seen  in  Jersey 
City,  I  will  want  more  shortly,  as  I  have  ac- 
commodations for  about  one  hundred  pairs. 
— F.  E.  F.,  New  Jersey. 

BIRDS  DID  BETTER  THAN  HE  FIG- 
URED WHEN  HE  STARTED.  Can  you 
favor  me  with  the  address  of  some  squab 
buyer  in  the  vicinity  of  Syracuse,  New  York? 
The  birds  I  got  of  you  a  year  ago  are  doing 
finely  and  surpassed  my  expectations.  Am 
having  to  enlarge  again. — W.  L.,  New  York. 

EXPRESS  DELIVERY  BEAT  THE  MAIL. 
Pigeons  came  yesterday  in  fine  condition.  I 
am  more  pleased.  Thank  you  for  filling  the 
order  so  promptly.  The  birds  were  here 
three  hours  before  your  letter  telling  me  that 
you  had  shipped. — C.  M.  G.,  New  York. 


HER  SECOND  ORDER  FROM  FAR- 
OFF  WASHINGTON.  Find  enclosed  $68.17, 
for  which  please  send  me  forty  pairs  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers  and  supplies  as  specified.  This 
is  my  second  order. — Mrs.  M.  G.,  State  of 
Washington. 

GOT  A  DOZEN,  NOW  HAS  200.  Please 
send  me  the  names  and  addresses  of  some  of 
the  firms  in  New  York  City  and  other  places 
which  deal  in  squabs  and  pi-jeons.  I  have 
now  about  two  hundred  pigeons.  I  got  a 
dozen  pigeons  from  you  to  start  with  in  June, 
1903.  What  is  the  price  of  squabs  and  old 
pigeons  now? — J.  G.  G.,  Pennsylvania. 

SQUABS    ARE    A    "TERRIBLE    SIZE." 

My  flock  is  increasing  rapidly  and  I  must 
provide  for  them.  I  also  inform  you  that 
my  birds  are  doing  finely  and  breeding 
steadily  right  along  and  are  very  healthy. 
Our  squabs  are  of  a  terrible  size.  Any  one 
would  be  astonished  to  see  them  at  tour 
weeks  old. — A.  B.,  New  York. 

PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMER  USED  AT 
THE  CHRISTENING  OF  A  FOUR-MASTED 
SCHOONER  DOWN  IN  MAINE.  I  write  to 
say  that  the  Homer  pigeon  which  you  sent 
to  Mr.  E.  R.  Chapman  a  few  days  ago,  was 
uesd  at  the  christening  of  the  new  four- 
masted  schooner  "  Augusta  W.  Snow  "  which 
was  launched  at  the  yard  of  Messrs.  E.  and 
I.  K.  Stetson  this  forenoon,  and  was  released 
at  11.20  a.m.  today,  and  if  she  turns  up  at 
home  I  shall  be  very  glad  if  you  will  inform 


me  of  the  time,  etc. 


following  inscrip- 


tion was  attached  to  her  leg,  written  in  in- 
delible ink  on  a  piece  of  linen — "  Bangor, 
Maine,  Christening  Pigeon  from  launching 
of  Schooner  Augusta  W.  Snow,  May  f>,  1905." 
— W.  B.  S.,  Maine. 

WELL  SATISFIED  AFTER  A  YEAR  OF 
BREEDING.  It  is  one  year  ago  last  Decem- 
ber that  I  received  thirty-six  pairs  of  your 
pigeons.  I  am  well  satisfied  with  the  results. 
They  have  demonstrated  without  doubt  they 
are  breeders  all  right.  I  have  sold  a  few 
dozen  squabs,  eaten  a  couple  of  dozen  and  in- 
creased our  flock  by  many  dozens.  I  have 
as  fine  lot  of  pigeons  as  one  would  wish  and 
they  are  producing  squabs  right  along.  The 
pigeons  I  raised  last  year  are  producing  birds 
and  are  an  unusually  fine  lot  of  pigeons. — 
H.  P.,  New  York. 

A  GOOD  START  IN  THE  FIRST  SIX 
MONTHS.  The  pigeons  I  bought  of  you  in 
July  have  done  finely.  I  think  I  got  seven 
pairs  and  now  (February)  I  have  clo^e  to 
twenty-five  pairs  and  the  young  ones  have 
begun  to  lay  now.  I  see  that  they  will  mul- 
tiply very  fast. — T.  E.  G.,  Alabama. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB   COMPANY 

168 


APPENDIX  C 

(Copyright,  1906,  by  Elmer  C.  Rice) 

In  1907,  we  expect  our  trade  to  be  even  greater.  In  1906,  we  sold  more 
birds  ard  supplies  than  in  any  previous  year.  That  our  trade  is  larger  than 
that  of  all  others  combined  is  not  an  idle  boast,  but  is  very  much  of  a  fact,  due 
to  this,  namely,  that  we  sell  Homers  which  are  larger,  more  prolific,  and  which 
breed  larger  squabs,  than  any  others.  This  supremacy  we  intend  to  maintain. 

We  offer  additional  proof  in  the  following  pages.  For  every  letter  which 
we  print  here,  we  have  a  dozen  just  as  good,  or  better.  The  following  letters, 
only  a  part  of  many  received  in  nine  months  of  1906,  are  not  from  customers 
merely  pleased  by  the  fine  appearance  of  the  birds  on  arrival,  but  are  accounts 
of  breeding  which  has  won  success. 

There  are  some  very  strong  letters  here.  All  are  worth  reading  for  the 
practical  information  and  news  they  give  of  the  squab  industry  up  to  date. 
We  do  not  print  the  names  and  addresses  of  these  customers.  Many  are 
regular  buyers  of  our  birds.  We  guarantee  the  genuineness  of  the  letters, 
and  will  prove  it  in  any  way  desired.  The  originals  are  at  our  Boston  office 
and  may  be  seen  there. 

We  ask  your  trade  for  1907  by  deserving  it.  If  anybody  tries  to  make  a 
sale  to  you  by  "  running  down  "  competitors,  insist  that  he  or  them  demon- 
strate the  worth  of  claims  by  furnishing  proof  in  volume  and  character,  con- 
cerning birds,  matings  and  management,  equal  to  the  letters  we  print  here 
and  in  our  other  publications. 


OUR  LARGEST  1906  ORDER.     In  looking  birds  had  a   long  trip  to   reach  him.     We 

back  over  our  year  of  business,  1906,  we  recall  expect  to  sell  him  more  yet,  judging  from  his 

first  an    order    from    a    customer  whom  we  last  letter.     We  will  be  pleased  to  show  the 

started  in    1905,   with    120   pairs    Extra,  for  correspondence   at    our    Boston    office.     The 

which  he  paid  $300.     We  sent  him  125  pairs,  point  we  wish  to  make  is,  that  we  are  the  only 

five  pairs  free.     A  year  later  we  received  the  firm    anywhere    actually    filling    orders    this 

following  telegram  from  him:  size,  or  able  to  fill  them,  and  that  we  earned 

"  Wire  bottom  prices  for  one  thousand  pairs  the  confidence  of  this  customer  by  giving  him 

Extra,    including   two   thousand   nappies   and  his  first  lot  of  birds  so  good  that  he  kept  on 

date  you  ship."  trading    with    us.     More     1900    experiences 

We  quoted  him  our  regular  price  for  Extras,  follow, 
the  same  to  all,  namely  $1.70  per  pair  in  large 

lots  of  300  pairs  and  over.     Our  customer  was  STARTED  WITH  SIX  PAIRS  EXTRA  AND 

a   man    of   few    words    and    knew    what   he  IN  TWO   YEARS   RAISED   SIX  HUNDRED 

wanted.     Three    days   after   sending   us   the  AND    THIRTY-SIX    SQUABS.     Nearly    two 

above    telegram    he    sent    us    the    following  years  ago  (in  October.  1904),  I  purchased  p; 

letter:      "  Enclosed  find  draft  for  $2111.25  as  your  firm  six  pairs  of  your  best  Extra  Homer 

payment   in    full   for    1150    pairs    Extra   and  pigeons,  from  which    I    have    been  breeding 

supplies.     I  trust  jou  will  exert  every  care  in  since,  and  it  may  be  of  interest  to  you  to  have 

interest   of   shipment.     You   will   please   hold  some  particulars  as  to  results.     I  should  pre- 

the  birds  until  May  10,  as  it  will  crowd  me  to  mise  by  saying  that  I  was,  at  the  time,  a  nov- 

get  my  quarters  ready  before  that  time."  ice  pure  and  simple — as  a  matter  of  fact  a 

We  shipped  1200  pairs,  giving  the  customer  lawyer  by  profession— and  knew  absolutely 

50  pairs  free.     He  lives  in  the  West  and  the  nothing  of  the   care   or  culture   of  pigeons^ 


1906  LETTERS     FROM     CUSTOMERS  1906 

STORIES    OF    SUCCESS    ON    THIS    PAGE    ARE    NEW.     THEY  WERE    RECEIVED    BY 
THE   PLYMOUTH    ROCK    SQUAB    COMPANY   OF   BOSTON    IN  NINE   MONTHS  OF   1906 


However,  study  of  your  squab  book,  close  and 
constant  observation  of  the  birds,  their  habits, 
etc.,  with  the  resultant  experience,  enable  me 
to  get  along  pretty  well. 

My  pigeon  house  was  not  originally  in- 
tended or  constructed  for  that  particular  pur- 
pose, but  had,  hitherto,  been  used  for  a  hen 
house.  It  is  about  40  feet  by  12  feet,  with 
five  windows.  Along  the  whole  of  the  west 
front  and  extending  across  the  south  end  I 
built  a  fly  10  feet  wide,  12  feet  high  and  aboui 
70  feet  long.  My  flock  has  hatched,  up  to  th.3 
time  of  writing  this,  six  hundred  and  thirty - 
six  squabs  (636),  without  those  consumed  at 
my  own  table,  but  I  contemplate  marketing 
the  squabs  this  fall  as  the  overcrowding  stage 
is  rapidly  approaching. 

If  you  can  find  time  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear 
whether  or  no,  in  your  expert  opinion  and  in 
the  above  circumstances,  you  think  that  I 
have  been  fairly  successful.  Although  I  feel 
reasonably  satisfied  with  my  progress,  were  I 
to  start  again,  ab  initio,  I  think  that  I  should 
do  so  with  a  complete  flock  of  fully  matured 
birds  rather  than  waste  the  time  consumed 
raising  stock,  by  breeding,  to  a  business 
basis.  Wishing  you  continued  success. — W. 
C.,  Massachusetts. 

DOING  GREAT  WORK.  The  Homers 
which  you  sold  me  two  years  ago  are  doing 
great  work.  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  with 
them.— F.  S.,  New  York. 

TOOK  FRIEND'S  ADVICE.  Enclosed  find 
an  order  for  birds  and  supplies  with  remit- 
tance. A  friend  here  was  much  pleased  with 
pur  birds  from  your  lofts  and  decided  to  go 
into  the  business.  We  prevailed  on  him  to 
order  from  you  because  we  felt  your  birds  were 
the  best.  He  could  have  bought  here  in 
Illinois  at  a  much  cheaper  rate  but  he  took 
our  advice.  So  we  trust  you  will  do  well  by 
him  and  trust  you  will  send  us  another  order 
blank  like  the  one  enclosed. — Mrs.  K.,  Illinois. 

MULTIPLIED  SIX-FOLD.  About  two 
years  ago  next  June,  I  bought  of  you  60  pairs 
of  your  Extra  selected  Homers  and  they  were 
a  very  fine  lot  of  birds,  and  I  have  raised  a 
very  fine  lotof  birds  from  them.  I  haveabout 
400  birds  now,  and  they  are  straight  bai 
wing  and  mottle  with  the  exception  of  about 
eight  chocolate. — A.  C  .,  New  Jersey. 

GETTING  THREE  DOLLARS  A  DOZEN. 

Please  send  me  your  new  literature  on  squabs. 
I  bought  18  pairs  of  you  in  1903  and  now  have 
a  flock  of  190  birds  and  am  getting  $3.00  for 
my  squabs  in  St.  Louis.  If  any  one  in  this 
section  writes  to  you  for  squabs  you  may  refer 
them  to  me. — F.  L.,  Missouri. 


go 
Pe 


NEIGHBOR  PLEASED.  Your  favor  of  the 
21st  to  hand,  also  price  list  of  $1.70  for  Extra 
Homers  in  300-pair  lots.  Mr.  J.  A.  Westen- 
dorf,  of  this  city,  purchased  of  you  on  a  trial 
order  five  pairs  of  Extra.  Why  cannot  ycu 
make  me  the  $1.70  rate  for  50,  100  or  200-pair 
lots  ?  In  going  over  my  buildings  I  find  that 
I  cannot  accommodate  300  pairs  so  would  not 
like  to  order  that  number  for  fear  of  being  too 
crowded. 

Mr.  Westendorf  is  pleased  with  his  birds 
and  if  the  birds  you  should  send  would  be  the 
equal  of  those  I  would  be  more  than  satisfied 
—A.  S.,  Missouri. 


ENTIRELY  SATISFACTORY.  Please  send 
me  the  feeding  slip  that  you  have  published 
as  your  daily  feeding  ration.  The  birds  we 

ot  from  you  are  entirely  satisfactory.  —  J.  D., 

ennsylvania. 


RECOMMENDED  BY  ANOTHER.  Will 
you  kindly  let  me  know  how  I  can  expect  to 
receive  birds  ordered  from  you  to  be  sent  to 
the  above  address?  I  have  been  recom- 
mended to  try  your  birds  by  Mr.  R.  Warner, 
of  9  DuBois  Avenue,  and  if  you  can  guarantee 
safe  shipment  I  will  place  an  order  with  you 
as  soon  as  I  hear  to  this  effect.  And  if  they 
are  as  you  represent  them,  I  shall  be  a  regular 
customer  of  yours.  If  you  will  give  me  the 
desired  information,  you  will  greatly  oblige.  — 

THIS  SHOWS  WHAT  A  CUSTOMER  DID 
WITH  TWELVE  PAIRS  OF  OUR  BIRDS. 

My  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  have  done 
finely.  I  sent  to  Boston  $30  for  12  pairs. 
The  birds  arrived  before  I  expected  them  and 
they  all  looked  fine.  I  got  my  first  egg  March 
21,  1905.  I  raised  all  of  my  young  to  increase 
the  flock  for  one  year  and  found  at  the  end  of 
the  year  that  I  had  271  young  birds,  all  seam- 
less banded,  and  as  fine  a  lot  as  I  ever  have 
seen.  This  year  I  am  selling  squabs  and 
mated  pairs,  raising  my  best  young,  and  have 
already  sold  squabs  and  mated  pairs  which 
have  to  date  netted  me  $60.  I  have  sold  my 
squabs  for  $3  a  dozen,  and  mated  pairs  for 
$2.50  a  pair. 

I  now  (September  10,  1906),  have  400  birds 
that  I  have  raised.  A  good  lot  of  them  are 
worthy  to  be  put  in  the  show  pen,  and  if  they 
were  they  would  be  among  the  winners. 

When  I  went  into  the  pigeon  business  I 
bought  what  I  thought  was  the  best  stock  to 
be  obtained,  namely,  Extra  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers,  and  my  flock  shows  that  I  did  not  go 
wrong,  for  every  one  that  has  seen  my  birds 
pronounces  them  the  best  lot  they  have  ever 
seen  together. 

My  birds  now  are  in  the  midst  of  moult, 
but  most  of  them  are  breeding  right  along. 


These  are  strong  letters.     Read  them  over.      You  want  some  assurance,  when  you  buy 
pigeons,  that  you  will  be  treated  right,  as  these  customers  were. 

170 


1906  LETTERS     FROM     CUSTOMERS  1906 

STORIES    OF    SUCCESS    ON    THIS    PAGE    ARE    NEW.     THEY    WERE    RECEIVED    BY 
THE  PLYMOUTH    ROCK    SQUAB    COMPANY    OF    BOSTON   IN  NINE  MONTHS  OF  1900. 


I  now  have  95  mated  pairs  at  work  and  as  soon 
as  the  moult  is  over  I  snail  begin  mating  again. 
By  November  I  expect  to  have  50  pairs  more 
mated  and  at  work. 

I  feed  tne  best  of  grain,  using  cracked  corn, 
kaffir  corn,  red  wheat,  buckwheat,  a  little 
hemp,  and  during  the  moult  sunflower  in  the 
head,  letting  the  birds  pick  cff  the  seed  as  they 
like. 

I  use  the  self  feeder  Mr.  Rice  describes  in  his 
Manual  and  I  find  with  it  the  feed  is  always 
clean.  I  never  feed  on  floor.  I  use  automatic 
water  fountains  and  scald  them  out  every  two 
or  three  days.  I  give  the  birds  a  good  clean 
bath  every  day. 

I  have  trays  to  feed  any  dainty  which  I 
have,  removing  trays  when  seeds  are  eaten. 

One  thing  that  is  essential  with  pigeons  is 
cleanliness.  I  clean  loft  every  Saturday, 
cleaning  out  nests  that  have  young,  putting 
in  new  straw,  and  spraying  over  lofts  with 
liquid  disinfectant. 

I  have  followed  the  instructions  of  Mr. 
Rice's  Manual  and  found  it  to  be  good  solid 
advice. 

In  the  past  18  months  I  have  been  in  a  good 
many  pigeon  lofts  and  have  seen  exhibits  at 
New  York  State  Fair  and  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
Pigeon  Shows,  and  never  have  seen  any  better 
birds  than  I  have  raised  from  the  Extra 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers. 

I  am  perfectly  satisfied  with  what  my  birds 
have  done  and  when  I  buy  more  they  will 
surely  be  Extra  Plymouth  Rocks. 

The  feed  bill  will  not  exceed  eighty-five 
cents  a  year  per  breeding  pair.  I  use  tobacco 
stems  for  nesting  material  and  like  them. 
I  shall  always  try  and  speak  a  good  word  for 
the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company,  for  I 
have  found  them  always  ready  to  assist  at  any 
time.— W.  R.  R.,  New  York. 

THEY  HAVE  NOT  LOST  A  BIRD.  I  wrote 
to  you  some  time  ago  in  regard  to  the  squabs 
we  got  from  you  in  the  month  of  May,  or 
rather  pigeons,  50  pairs,  and  have  yet  to  lose 
our  first  bird,  which  not  only  speaks  well  for 
your  birds  but  it  looks  as  if  we  are  giving  them 
the  right  attention. 

There  is  one  thing  we  wrote  to  you  about, 
those  not  working — but  they  are  doing  fine 
and,  counting  your  birds,  we  have  100  pairs, 
besides  we  have  sold  some  which  were 
greatly  admired. 

The  hotel  we  take  them  to  in  Washington 
gives  seventy-five  cents  a  pair  all  the  year 
round  dressed,  the  commission  _  merchants 
never  higher  than  60.  cents  a  pair. — M.  B., 
Maryland. 

MANUAL  INDISPENSABLE  TO  SUCCESS. 
In  regard  to  the  National  Squab  Book  which 
you  publish,  would  ask  if  you  ever  revise  it. 


The  one  I  purchased  of  you  in  May,  1904,  is 
all  rignt  and  I  could  never  have  raised  the 
number  and  quality  of  squabs  I  do  without  its 
guidance.  Of  course  you  are  learning  new 
points  about  your  business  and  if  you  have  a 
later  edition  than  mine  please  let  me  know. 

The  Homers  have  started  in  on  their  annual 
spring  campaign  and  from  all  appearances 
they  are  going  to  outdo  their  former  produc- 
tions. With  best  wishes  for  your  continued 
success. — A.  T.,  Ohio. 

HIGHLY  RECOMMENDED  TO  HIM  BY 
OTHER  CUSTOMERS.  Some  time  ago  I 
wrote  your  company  for  their  free  book  on 
squab  raising.  Later  I  sent  for  your  National 
Standard  Squab  Book.  I  have  read  each  one 
from  start  to  finish  and  am  well  pleased  with 
them.  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  give  the 
squab  business  a  trial  as  I  am  quite  sure  that 
there  is  money  in  it,  if  properly  conducted. 

I  realize  that  to  make  a  success  of  any. 
business  one  must  thoroughly  understand  it. 
As  I  have  had  no  experience  in  this  line  I  wish 
to  start  in  with  a  small  number  and  increase 
them  as  I  grow  to  understand  the  business. 

My  plan  is  to  buy  12  pairs  of  the  very  best 
breeders  that  I  can  obtain  and  keep  only  the 
best  of  their  increase  for  breeders  till  I  get  my 
flock  to  the  desired  size.  Now,  from  reading 
your  books  and  having  you  highly  recom- 
mended to  me  by  other  parties,  I  have  made  up 
my  mind  that  you  can  give  me  what  I  w  ant  in 
this  line.— H.  B.,  Illinois. 

FROM  FOUR  PAIRS  TO  THIRTY  PAIRS 

IN  NINE  MONTHS.  Nine  months  ago  I 
bought  of  you  four  pairs  of  Extra  Homers. 
I  had  to  move  them  twice  to  make  room.  I 
have  now  60  first-class  Homers.  I  have  had 
several  chances  to  sell  some  of  the  squabs 
but  I  think  too  much  of  them.  By  studying 
your  manual  carefully  I  have  not  lost  a  bird. 
From  a  friend  of  your  Homers. — W.  M.,  New 
York. 

NO  DISEASE.  You  no  doubt  have  my 
name  on  your  books  as  a  purchaser  of  10  pairs 
Extra,  which  I  purchased  of  you  last  winter. 
I  am  still  enthusiastic  over  the  industry.  I 
have  all  the  original  1 1  pairs  you  sent  me  and 
33  young,  all  the  offspring  of  your  birds,  55 
birds  in  all.  They  are  every  one  in  finest 
condition,  disease  has  never  touched  my  Sock. 
— J.  P.,  Virginia. 

FIVE  MONTHS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  When 
I  received  those  birds  from  you  in  March  I 
turned  them  into  a  pen  and  have  been  so  takert 
up  with  other  work  that  they  have  been  left 
to  themselves  until  now.  At  present  I  am 
taking  all  the  working  birds  out  and  banding, 
and  when  they  have  young  squabs  I  have 


Beware  of  anybody  who  tries  to  make  a  sale  to  you  by  running  down  the  Plymouth  Rock 
Squab  Co.     Insist  that  he  show  you  letters  like  these  in  proof  of  his  claims. 

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1906  LETTERS     FROM     CUSTOMERS  1906 

STORIES    OF    SUCCESS    ON    THIS    PAGE    ARE    NEW.     THEY    WERE    RECEIVED    B\ 
THE  PLYMOUTH   ROCK   SQUAB    COMPANY    OF   BOSTON  IN   NINE    MONTHS   OF   1906 


moved  them  also,  putting  them  in  a  corres- 
ponding section  in  the  other  pen,  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  pens  being  the  same.  I  find  that 
the  old  birds  find  their  young  and  go  right  on 
keeping  house  just  the  same  as  before  they 
were  moved.  At  present  I  have  100  young 
birds,  the  oldest  being  less  than  five  months 
and  already  at  work.  The  squabs  are  fully 
developed  and  out  of  the  nest  at  three  weeks. 
I  expect  to  have  about  80  or  90  pair  of  birds 
at  -vork  about  the  first  of  November.  Then 
I  shall  begin  to  ship. — E.  R.  C.,  California. 

GETTING  ALONG  IN  VIRGINIA.     Please 

ship  by  freight  to  us  six  drinking  fountains 
and  six  bath  pans.  We  got  some  birds  of  you 
last  year.  They  have  done  very  well. 
Thank  you  for  the  advice — P.  N.,  Virginia. 

GENEROUS  TREATMENT  OF  CUSTOM- 
ERS. Your  letter  of  May  21  was  most  satis- 
factory and  certainly  very  generous.  I  hope  I 
made  it  very  plain  to  you  that  you  were  not  at 
all  to  blame  for  the  loss  of  one  of  my  pigeons. 
Your  offer  to  replace  it  free  of  charge  was 
quite  in  keeping  with  my  impression  as  to 
your  very  generous  treatment  of  your  cus- 
tomers. I  have  at  last  found  that  the  lost 
pigeon  was  a  female  and  if  you  think  a  white 
pigeon  would  be  well  received  by  my  colony 
of  three  checkered,  I  would  like  to  have  a 
white  female  Extra  Homer  pigeon.  My 
pigeons  are  in  fine  order  and  doing  well. — 
Mrs.  H.  C.,  Georgia. 

LOST  ONLY  ONE  SQUAB  IN  FIVE 
MONTHS.  Five  months  since,  come  the  12th, 
I  received  of  you,  by  express,  13  pairs  of  your 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  Up  to  date  I  have 
lost  but  one  squab  (and  I  think  he  was  killed 
by  a  dislocation  of  the  neck),  possibly  10  eggs, 
several  by  frost.  I  have  54  squabs,  most  of 
them  able  to  take  care  of  themselves,  and 
seven  pairs  of  eggs.  Three  pairs  of  young 
ones  have  hatched  and  begun  to  build  their 
nests.  Now  I  wish  to  ask  you  if  you  think 
they  are  doing  well.  I  do,  and  I  am  proud  of 
my  intelligent  birds.  I  am  now  preparing 
to  remove  all  young  ones  from  the  pen  except 
those  that  are  mated  and  then  as  fast  as  the 
others  mate,  to  do  as  you  say,  put  them  into 
the  breeding  pen.  I  shall  also  build  on 
another  unit  to  my  breeding  pen  in  a  short 
time,  as  I  figure  on  110  birds  in  my  present 
house. 

I  wish  I  was  financially  able  to  put  in  a  good 
olant  as  these  birds  have  demonstrated  their 
fecundity.  I  notice  you  say  that  there  is 
little  liability  of  nest -makers  mating.  *  have 
not  discovered  any  with  the  few  I  have.  I 
have  just  gone  through  the  nest  boxes  with 
whitewash  containing  a  good  per  cent  of 


carbolic  acid  and  vitriol  solution.  I  clean 
out  houses  often  and  so  far  have  not  had  a 
sick  bird.  Occasionally  I  put  ginger  in  the 
drinking  fount  and  I  firmly  believe  it  is  by 
following  your  plain  and  definite  instruction 
that  they  keep  as  well. 

I  hope  I  am  not  trespassing  on  your  valu- 
able time  but  cannot  resist  telling  you  how  I 
am  gettjng  on  with  your  stock. — W.  G.  P., 
Wisconsin. 

CONVINCED  AFTER  TRIAL.  I  have  de- 
layed in  writing  you  as  I  wanted  to  see  how 
the  birds  were  going  to  turn  out.  Can  say 
now,  I  am  more  than  pleased  with  the  birds. 
I  have  now  18  squabs  and  five  pairs  of  eggs. 
Three  squabs  died  and  six  eg<*s  went  to  waste. 
That  is  all  over  with  now.  Don't  expect  that 
to  happen  again.  As  far  as  I  can  see  squab 
raising  looks  to  be  very  simple  and  profitable. 
I  have  a  nice  clean  house  and  running  water 
so  the  time  spent  is  nothing.  Enclosed  you 
will  find  my  check  fcr  12  pair  Extra  more. — 
J.  S.,  Washington. 

GETTING  FOUR  DOLLARS  A  DOZEN 
FOR  SQUABS.  Please  send  me  as  speedily 
as  possible  25  pairs  of  Extra  Blue  Homer 
Pigeons.  I  have  now  about  125  pairs  of  birds 
bred  from  the  original  20  pairs  I  bought  from 
you  about  18  months  ago  and  am  selling 
squabs  at  S4.00  a  dozen.  I  am  building  a 
coop  48  feet  by  14  feet  which  will  accom- 
modate about  600  birds  and  if  successful  will 
enlarge  my  plant  shortly. 

Will  you  kindly  supply  me  with  the  name 
of  the  large  Commission  house  in  New  York 
mentioned  in  your  circular?  The  original 
birds  were  bought  from  you  in  November 
1904  and  shipped  to  my  partner  in  the- busi- 
ness.— H.  B.,  New  Jersey. 

QUICK  TIME.  I  have  read  a  large  num- 
ber of  your  testimonials,  none  like  this  how- 
ever. Now  I  will  make  an  affidavit  that  I 
received  the  38  pairs  Saturday  morning,  put 
them  in  the  pen  by  ten  a.m.  I  gave  them  a 
few  tobacco  stems  from  a  crock  on  the  floor 
in  the  corner.  At  five  p.m.  a  hen  laid  an 
egg.  She  laid  her  second  egg  to-day,  Monday, 
and  is  now  setting.  Can  any  of  your  cus- 
tomers beat  this? — S.  H.,  Illinois. 

THINKS  WE  ARE  TRUE  BLUE.     I     am 

giving  my  pigeons  occasionally  lettuce  or 
some  raw  cabbage,  which  they  most  heartily 
enjoy.  Is  this  conduct  prudent?  The  last 
batch  of  birds  you  sent  me  "Extra  selected" 
were  magnificent.  You  people  (The  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Squab  Company)  seem  to  be 
"true  blue."  I  like  to  deal  with  your  kind; 
don't  find  them  all  the  time.  Please  answer 


Is  there  anybody  in  your  town  who  has  failed  at  squab  raising?     Some  play  at  pigeons 
as  they  would  with  a  new  toy,  then  they  give  them  up.     If  they  bought  of  us,  the  trouble  is 


with  them  and  not  with  the  pigeons. 


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1906  LETTERS     FROM     CUSTOMERS  1906 

STORIES    OF    SUCCESS    ON    THIS    PAGE    ARE    NEW.     THEY   WERE   RECEIVED    BY 
THE  PLYMOUTH   ROCK   SQUAB   COMPANY  OF  BOSTON  IN  NINE    MONTHS   OF   1906. 


the  above  and  return  to  me.  Yours  well 
satisfied  with  your  treatment. — O.  J.,  Illinois. 

SUCCESS  IN  TEXAS.  In  October  1905 
I  purchased  from  you  25  pairs  of  birds  and 
since  that  time  I  have  had  fair  success  in 
raising  squabs.  I  have  about  175  young 
birds  on  hand  at  present.  They  are  all 
strong  and  healthy,  having  had  the  best  of 
care,  and  a  great  many  of  them  are  mating 
now.— W.  B.,  Texas. 

THANK  YOU  FOR  YOUR  LETTER.  I 

received  the  birds  all  O.K.  The  last  ones 
were  every  one  all  right,  as  were  the  first. 
A  thousand  thanks  for  your  kind,  courteous, 
and  prompt  treatment  in  all  our  business 
dealings  and  you  will  be  sure  to  hear  from  us 
again.  If  our  letter  will  help  you  any,  you 
are  perfectly  welcome  to  use  it.  Thank  you 
again. — J.  C.  H.,  Michigan. 

SELLING  MANURE.  Some  time  ago  I 
bought  24  pairs  Homer  Pigeons  from  you. 
I  have  had  fairly  good  luck  with  them,  having 
increased  my  flock  to  about  200  pairs.  I 
want  to  write  you  in  regard  the  manure. 
You  state  in  your  National  Standard  Squab 
Book,  that  the  Leather  Trust  used  it  for 
tanning  purposes.  Now  I  have  considerable 
on  hand  and  I  wrote  them.  They  said  in 
reply,  that  they  did  not  use  it  at  all,  which 
was  a  surprise  to  me  as  I  have  been  careful 
in  saving  it. — W.  H.  H.,  Pennsylvania. 

Answer.  The  trust  does  use  pigeon  manure 
or  did,  the  last  we  knew.  We  shipped  to  one 
of  the  Lowell  plants  of  the  American  Hide 
and  Leather  Co.  for  three  years.  Perhaps 
your  letter  was  directed  to  one  of  the  plants 
of  the  trust  which  does  not  use  pigeon  manure. 
We  have  printed  so  long  the  fact  that  pigeon 
manure  is  salable  to  tanneries  of  the  trust 
that  the  New  York  office  of  the  trust  has  been 
bombarded  with  pigeon  manure  letters  for 
the  last  five  years  to  such  an  extent  that  they 
are  sick  of  the  topic  there  and  give  an  in- 
quirer poor  satisfaction.  For  some  time  we 
have  been  selling  our  pigeon  manure  to 
leather  men  whose  factories  are  within  ten 
miles  of  our  Melrose  plant.  Their-teams  call 
for  it  and  take  it  away  with  very  little  trouble 
to  us.  We  get  sixty  cents  a  bushel  for  it, 
same  as  usual.  If  any  customer  of  ours 
wishes  to  ship  manure  to  New  Jersey  or  New 
York,  we  will  help  him  to  find  a  buyer  there, 
as  we  have  letters  from  tanneries  in  both 
States  on  file  asking  us  to  sell  them  "pigeon 
pure. 

HIS  FLOCK  GROWING.  About  a  year 
ago  I  bought  some  birds  from  you,  some 
$2.00  per  pair  and  some  $2.50.  My  flock  is 


growing  and  seems  to  be  getting  along  pretty 
good,  having  now  180  birds — will  soon  have 
200  birds.  I  thought  I  would  try  and  sell 
some  now.  They  are  all  good  birds.  I  want 
to  try  and  sell  what  I  raise  now  and  if  possible 
make  a  business  of  the  squabs  if  there  is 
enough  in  it  to  warrant  putting  up  more 
buildings  and  getting  more  stock. 

It  costs  me  about  $1.90  per  week  for  feed 
for  this  amount.  Am  I  feeding  enough? — 
M.  N.,  Massachusetts. 

BUILT  NEW  HOUSE.'  I  have  built  a 
new  house  for  my  pigeons.  Have  increased 
my  flock  from  the  original  six  pairs  to  50, 
besides  selling  30  pairs  of  squabs.  Could  I 
have  done  any  better  than  that  ? 

Have  been  having  some  trouble  by  a  few 
going  light  and  have  followed  your  advice 
and  think  have  got  the  better  of  the  difficulty. 
I  lay  the  trouble  to  the  poor  quality  of  wheat 
they  have  been  furnishing  me.  It  seems  to 
be  all  shrunk  up  and  they  don't  eat  half  of  it. 
—A.  D.  V.,  Pennsylvania. 

Answer.  More  pigeon  troubles  are  caused 
by  wheat,  or  too  much  of  it,  than  almost  any- 
thing else.  Squabs  which  are  thin  and  dark 
are  caused  by  too  much  wheat  in  the  ration. 
Pigeons  fed  on  too  much  wheat  get  thin,  with 
sharp  breastbones,  and  will  not  lay  as  they 
ought  to.  A  good  ration  of  Canada  peas  and 
hempseed  is  necessary  to  bring  eggs  and  keep 
the  flock  in  condition.  A  pigeon  will  not 
thrive  if  not  kept  in  condition  by  nourishing 
food.  The  results  of  too  much  wheat  are 
loose  droppings,  stupid  and  non-productive 
birds.  Pigeons  should  be  active  and  eager. 

IN  FINE  CONDITION.  My  birds  I  bought 
a  little  over  a  year  ago  (12  pairs)  are  still 
doing  fine;  have  sold  several  small  lots  of 
squabs.  I  have  been  following  your  manual's 
instructions  as  close  as  possible.  I  have  about 
sixty  pairs.  They  are  in  fine  condition  and 
have  lots  of  eggs  and  youngsters. — C.  W.  H., 
North  Carolina. 

SQUABS  WEIGHING  NEARLY  A  POUND 
APIECE  WHEN  ONLY  THREE  WEEKS 

OLD.  Please  send  me  your  price  list  on  birds 
and  supplies  as  I  intend  to  get  about  ten 
more  pairs  of  Extra  Homers  and  want  to  get 
them  of  you.  The  birds  I  have  now,  which 
I  got  from  you,  are  doing  fine  and  I  have 
doubled  my  flock.  I  could  sell  all  the  squabs 
I  have  but  want  them  for  breeders. 

Would  you  kindly  advise  me  if  oats  are 
good  for  breeding  pigeons  if  fed  moderately. 
Also  do  you  think  it  wise  to  sell  my  squabs 
when  they  are  from  two  and  one  half  to  three 
weeks  old,  as  some  of  them  will  weigh  about 
fourteen  ounces  at  that  age. — A.  P.,  Ohio. 


Look  up  the  standing  and  character  of  the  concern  with  which  you  contemplate  dealing. 
Your  bank  will  find  out  the  facts  for  you.  Avoid  advertisers  whom  you  find  out  by  investiga- 
tion are  worthless.  Have  their  ratings  looked  up  for  you. 

173 


1906  LETTERS    FROM     CUSTOMERS  1906 

STORIES   OF  SUCCESS    ON   THIS   PAGE    ARE   NEW.      THEY    WERE   RECEIVED    BY 
THE  PLYMOUTH   ROCK   SQUAB   COMPANY  OF    BOSTON  IN  NINE   MONTHS    OF   1906. 


Answer.  Pigeons  do  not  care  much  for 
oats.  Pigeons  in  the  street  eat  them,  as  they 
eat  peanuts  or  bread.  Of  course  if  you  have 
oats  handy  and  cheap,  you  can  feed  some, 
but  pigeons  will  eat  almost  every  other  grain 
in  preference.  When  squabs  weigh  14  ounces 
they  can  be  killed,  no  matter  what  their  age. 

MOVE  THEM  AS  YOU  PROPOSE.  I  have 
pigeon  breeders  in  unit  numbers  one  and 
three.  Squabs  in  unit  number  two,  from 
one  to  three  months  old.  I  wish  to  put  num- 
ber three  with  number  one.  Number  three 
is  breeding  right  along.  Will  it  hurt  to  move 
nest,  pigeons  and  squabs  out  of  number  three 
into  unit  number  one?  Will  it  damage  eggs 
and  squabs  to  do  so?  If  rot  I  can  move 
them  through  unit  number  two,  as  I  can  let 
number  two  in  flying  pen  while  I  am  moving 
number  three. 

I  shall  want  more  pigeons  by  fall.  I  got 
13  pairs  from  you  last  year,  and  I  have  100 
j«T\rs  in  all  now,  so  you  see  I  have  done  well 
with  them.  I  wish  you  would  answer  as  soon 
a3  possible  as  I  do  not  wish  to  molest  them 
before  I  hear  from  you. — J.  P.  M.,  Michigan. 

Answer.  Move  them  as  you  propose, 
putting  the  nests  in  the  same  relative  posi- 
tions in  the  new  nest-boxes.  You  will  lose 
few,  if  any. 

INCREASED  STOCK.  In  May,  1903,  you 
sent  C.  I.  Bruce  forty  (40)  pairs  of  your 
pigeons  at  $2.50  a  pair,  and  in  1904,  twelve 
(12)  females.  We  have  sold  and  increased 
stock  since  then  by  breeding,  until,  at  present, 
we  have  about  three  hundred  (300)  birds. — 
Miss  H.  J.,  Connecticut. 

BEST  HOMERS  HE  EVER  SAW.     You 

favor  of  the  12th  June,  answering  my  inquir  r 
of  the  9th  June,  was  duly  received.  Thank 
for  the  information.  I  had  fully  intended  tD 
visit  your  plant,  but,  just  as  I  am  ready  to 
start,  my  wife,  who  was  to  accompany  me  on 
a  two  weeks  visit  to  the  New  England  coast 
is  taken  sick.  I  have  seen  the  birds  which 
you  sent  to  my  neighbor,  Mr.  P.  C.  Evans, 
and  they  appear  to  be  all  you  claim  for  them, 
tie  best  specimens  of  Homers  I  have  yet  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing. 

If  you  can  let  me  have  a  small  lot  of  one- 
half  dozen  pairs,  at  same  price  as  paid  by  Mr. 
Evans,  you  may  enter  my  order  for  same, 
with  dozen  bowls,  for  early  delivery. — G.  W. 
G.,  Pennsylvania. 

FLOCK    WENT    TO    WORK    QUICKLY. 

Out  of  the  seven  pairs  of  Extra  Homers  you 
shipped  me  June  2,  1906,  I  have  already 
(August  10)  got  twelve  squabs.  I  am  very 
much  pleased  over  having  such  good  success. 


but  I  have  no  way  of  marking  them.  You 
will  please  send  me  an  outfit  for  marking 
them  by  mail.  Send  about  what  yo  i  think 
a  beginner  ought  to  have.  As  the  business 
grows,  will  send  you  a  larger  order. — L.  L., 

A  WOMAN'S  WORK.  I  have  90  pigeons 
on  hand,  bred  from  the  26  my  husband  bought 
of  you  a  year  ago  last  April. — Mrs.  H.  C., 
Illinois. 

STRICTLY  ALL  RIGHT.  A  friend  of  mine 
of  this  city  recommended  you  to  me  as  being 
strictly  all  right.  I  will  thank  you  to  send 
me  your  literature  explaining  the  cost  of 
starting  a  squab  farm  of  about  250  pairs, 
raising  and  marketing  same,  as  I  contemplate 
going  in  that  business.  Thank  you  in  ad- 
vance for  any  information  that  you  may  give 
me.— W.  M.  A.,  Alabama. 

RESULTS  TELL  THE  STORY.     As  all  of 

my  birds  secured  from  you  in  May  this  year 
have  their  second  pairs  of  young  ones  and  I 
think  will  continue  to  multiply  as  fast,  will 
you  kindly  forvyard  me  a  list  of  commission 
men  as  stated  in  your  letter  of  recent  date. 
Am  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  results  ob- 
tained from  your  birds.  If  you  have  any 
inquiries  for  birds  in  this  locality  I  will  be  glad 
to  attend  to  them  for  you. — J.  L.  T.,  Indiana. 

SIZE  OF  SQUABS  A  REVELATION.  We 

are  pleased  to  advise  you  that  we  ate  our  first 
squab  from  the  lot  of  birds  you  shipped  in 
May  last  Sunday  and  wish  to  state  that  the 
size  of  these  squabs  is  a  revelation  to  us,  being 
almost  twice  as  large  as  any  we  have  ever  been 
able  to  secure. 

The  enclosed  list  will  give  you  an  idea  as  to 
their  productiveness.  I  also  would  like  to 
have  you  answer  the  questions  contained 
therein.— H.  B.  R.  Illinois. 

OUR  BIRDS  BETTER  THAN  WE  CLAIM. 

My  birds  reached  me  in  good  order  and  was 
glad  to  see  them  when  I  got  home  from  work 
safe  and  sound.  I  think  the  American 
Express  Co.  is  about  the  best  there  is.  Every- 
body that  sees  your  birds  say  they  are  the  finest 
they  ever  saw.  I  think  when  anybody  is  look- 
ing for  good  birds  they  don't  need  to  look  any 
further  than  your  place  and  I  know  they  will 
go  ahead  of  any  birds  in  this  town  for  looks 
and  flying.  I  think  we  will  stay  here  till  we 
get  a  good  flcx^k  of  birds  then  we  will  move 
outside  of  town.  The  next  time  I  send  for 
birds  I  will  try  and  send  you  a  bigger  order. 

Your  birds  are  better  than  you  claim  for 
them.  Some  of  them  have  eggs  before  their 
young  ones  are  two  weeks  old.  They  get  so 


We  were  the  first.  Our  birds  and  methods  revolutionized  the  squab  industry  and  are 
widely  imitated.  But  imitators  who  copy  or  find  fault  with  our  printed  matter  cannot  give 
you  our  birds.  We  have  no  agents. 

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1906  LETTERS     FROM     CUSTOMERS 

STORIES  OF    SUCCESS   ON   THIS   PAGE   ARE    NEW.      THEY    WERE    RECEIVED   BY 
THE   PLYMOUTH  ROCK   SQUAB   COMPANY  OF   BOSTON  IN  NINE    MONTHS  OF   1906. 


big  they  just  about  can't  sit  in  the  nest.  I 
think  if  you  would  put  an  advertisement  in 
some  of  the  evening  papers  you  would  get 
some  more  trade.  I  am  advertising  your 
birds  to  everybody  I  know. — J.  S.,  Wisconsin. 

COMPLIMENTED  BY  AN  EXPERIENCED 
JUDGE.  One  of  my  hens  made  her  nest  and 
I  thought  she  was  ready  to  lay  but  she  sat  all 
one  day  and  part  of  the  next  and  did  not,  but 
had  her  mouth  open  panting  and  seemed  very 
sick.  I  telephoned  to  Mr.  M.  to  come  and  tell 
me  what  to  do.  When  he  came  he  held  her 
in  warm  water  for  15  minutes  and  then  fast- 
ened her  in  her  nest.  In  ten  minutes  she  laid 
her  egg  and  got  all  right. 

Mr.  M.  holds  the  world's  record  for  three 
hundred  miles  and  has  some  of  the  most  yal- 
uable  birds  in  Chicago,  and  he  said  my  birds 
were  very  fine,  in  fact  he  said  he  could  have 
hardly  told  them  from  his  own,  they  resembled 
them  so  much. 

When  so  good  a  judge  will  compliment 
them  so  highly  I  feel  very  proud  of  them. — 
A.  B.,  Illinois. 

SQUABS  WEIGHING  ONE  POUND  AT 
TWO  WEEKS.  I  thought  you  might  like  to 
hear  from  the  birds  you  sent  us  a  year  ago. 
They  have  been  working  overtime  since.  We 
have  54  birds  now  with  several  resting.  Every 
one  is  a  solid  color  the  same  as  the  old  ones. 

The  squabs  we  have  weighed  have  averaged 
a  pound  at  three  weeks  old.  One  weighed  a 
pound  at  two  weeks. 

There  is  a  party  here  getting  birds  of  all 
kinds  and  colors  and  claims  they  are  better 
than  what  we  got  for  Extras  on  account  of  the 
bands. — J.  W.,  South  Dakota. 

Answer.  It  is  quite  common  for  parties 
selling  poor  Homers  f.o  put  bands  on  their  legs, 
some  of  them  quite  ornamental,  in  an  endeav- 
or to  enhance  their  value,  same  as  putting 
a  gaudy  label  on  cheap  goods.  It  is  the  pig- 
eons that  count,  not  the  bands.  Bands  are 
useful  to  number  the  birds,  that  is  all. 

NO.  1  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  ARE  GOOD 
HOMERS.  It  will  probably  be  fall  before  I 
get  my  house  built  and  give  you  an  order  for 
more  birds.  If  money  is  not  too  scarce  the 
order  will  be  for  your  best  birds,  for  the  No. 
1  Plymouth  Rocks  are  doing  even  better  than 
ehe  Manual  claims  them  to.  Your  Extra 
birds  must  be  wonderful.— W.  H.  W.,  Massa- 
chusetts. 

WE  "  SHOW  THEM  "  OUT  IN  MISSOURI. 

I  received  the  grits  and  oyster  shell  all  O.  K. 
My  birds  jump  on  to  *'.ie  grits  and  hemp  seed 
in  a  hurry.  They  at*  doing  well.  I  will  have 
about  sixty  squaba  this  month  and  quite  a 


number  mating  this  week.  I  had  an  order 
for  100  squabs  this  morning.  It  made  me 
sick  to  think  I  could  not  fill  it,  but  my  time 
came  after  a  while.  I  will  build  another  house 
soon  and  I  want  100  more  of  your  birds.  Mr. 
Hall's  birds  look  well.  They  came  through 
nice.  He  is  well  pleased  and  I  think  he  will 
order  more.  There  are  two  more  people  talk- 
ing of  going  into  the  squab  business.  I  wiH 
try  to  get  an  order  for  you. — J.  W.  H.,  Mis- 
souri. 

HAS  NEVER  SOLD  ANY  SQUABS  LESS 
THAN  NINE  POUNDS  TO  THE  DOZEN. 

About  three  years  ago  I  purchased  of  you  six 
pair  of  Homer  pigeons  for  which  I  paid  $2.50 
per  pair.  My  flock  are  all  from  the  stock  I 
bought  of  you  and  I  have  some  nice  birds.  I 
have  never  sold  any  squabs  under  nine  pounds 
to  the  dozen  at  four  weeks  old.  I  never  sell 
my  birds  after  they  have  left  the  nest  for 
squabs.  Will  you  send  me  your  price  list  for 

Fains,  that    is,   Kaffir  corn  and  red  wheat, 
would  like  the  address  of  Boston  dealers. — 
C.  E.  W.,  Rhode  Island. 

LETTING  BIRDS  FLY.  I  would  like  to 
have  your  opinion  and  advice  on  a  matter  that 
is  very  important  to  me.  I  have  a  beautiful 
start  with  your  birds,  have  followed  your  book 
exactly  and  the  result  has  been  very  gratifying. 
Now  what  I  want  to  do  is  to  buy  about  three 
hundred  more  old  birds  from  you  and  pen 
them.  Will  the  young  birds  be  as  prolific, 
mate  and  hatch  as  well  if  properly  fed,  watered 
etc.,  exactly  as  my  pens  are,  if  I  allow  them  to 
run  loose  on  my  farm  ?  There  is  no  danger  of 
them  being  shot  and  I  would  much  prefer 
allowing  them  the  run  of  the  farm.  I  have' 
the  buildings  that  I  could  convert  into  com- 
fortable houses  at  once,  and  I  will  appreciate 
your  thoughtful  opinion  and  advice  in  the 
matter  for  I  know  you  are  headquarters. — 
T.  W.,  Tennessee. 

Answer.  Birds  which  you  raise  you  can 
let  fly  because  they  know  no  home  but  yours, 
but  Homers  which  you  buy  you  cannot  let  fly 
safely  because  they  know  another  home  (their 
old  home)  and  their  instinct  and  desire  to  go 
home  may  lead  them  to  leave  you. 

NEW  JERSEY  NEIGHBORS  ALL  AGREED. 

The  six  pairs  of  birds  received  from  you  the 
first  day  of  May  are  still  doing  fine  (July). 
One  pair  has  her  third  pair  of  young  at  this 
writing — less  than  three  months.  The  rest 
will  hatch  this  week.  Mr.  Tevis  (the  neighbor 
I  spoke  to  you  about  in  a  former  k ;  ier)  came 
over  after  me  to  see  the  birds  that  he  had 
just  received  from  you.  They  are  fine  birds 
and  he  is  very  much  pleased  'with  them  and 
sorry  that  he  did  not  take  my  advice  and  send 


The  squab  Industry  is  growing  every  year.  More  squabs  were  bred  in  1906  than  ever 
before.  Prices  were  better  and  they  are  going  to  be  as  good  or  better  in  1907.  The  habit  of 
squab  eating  is  growing  in  every  section. 

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1906  LETTERS     FROM     CUSTOMERS  1906 

STORIES   OF    SUCCESS    ON    THIS    PAGE   ARE    NEW.     THEY    WERE    RECEIVED   BY 
THE  PLYMOUTH   ROCK   SQUAB   COMPANY  OF    BOSTON  IN    NINE   MONTHS   OF  1906. 


to  you  in  the  first  place,  but  he  bought  about 
60  pairs  from  a  New  Jersey  dealer.  He 
showed  him  a  letter  that  was  supposed  to  have 
come  from  a  man  that  bought  birds  of  you, 
saying  that  he  didn't  want  any  more  of  them. 
But  now  he  sees  the  difference  when  he  has 
them  side  by  side.  Mr.  Webster,  my  next 
door  neighbor,  is  so  well  pleased  with  the 
way  mine  are  doing  that  he  is  going  to  send 
for  a  few  pairs  this  fall.  I  would  if  I  could, 
and  had  the  room. 

I  now  have  16  pairs  of  the  Plymouth  Rock 
birds.  My  pen  is  open  to  any  one  that  wants 
to  see  the  birds  before  they  send  to  you  for 
breeders.  I  thank  you  for  the  fine  birds  you 
sent  to  Mr.  Tevis.  It  shows  that  I  didn't 
exaggerate  your  ability,  to  send  six  pairs  or 
100  pairs  of  fine  birds. — D.  C.  T.,  New  Jersey. 

FINEST  FLOCK  HE  HAD  EVER  SEEN. 
A  year  ago  to-day  we  received  eighteen  pairs 
of  your  Homers.  Our  flock  now  numbers 
nearly  100  pairs  and  all  are  doing  fine.  We 
have  sold  a  few  pairs  at  $1.25  per  pair,  and 
have  had  any  amount  of  inquiries  after  squabs. 
We  have  had  a  number  of  fanciers  up  to  look 
at  the  flock,  and  all  seem  to  think  they  are 
an  exceptionally  fine  lot  of  birds.  One 
gentleman  who  keeps  an  excellent  lot  of 
imported  birds  said  they  were  the  finest  flock 
he  had  ever  seen,  which  speaks  well  for  your 
birds.— B.  B.,  Michigan. 

BEST  BIRDS  IN  HIS  CITY.  Find  en- 
closed $16.34  for  which  to  send  me  a  dozen 
of  your  Homers,  a  dozen  of  nest  bowls,  and 
two  feet  of  aluminum  tubing.  Would  have 
liked  to  send  an  order  sooner  but  had  no 
place  to  keep  them.  My  birds  are  doing 
fine.  We  have  moved  into  a  larger  place 
where  I  can  let  my  birds  out  in  a  wire  cage. 
Your  birds  are  the  best  I  ever  saw  and  the 
only  ones  I  ever  intend  to  keep.  I  have  sold 
off  all  my  young  stock  so  I  have  more  room 
for  the  others. — J.  B.  T.,  Wisconsin. 

SPLENDID  WORK  WITH  SPLENDID 
BIRDS.  I  wish  to  advise  you  now  (August, 
1906)  of  the  splendid  luck  I  have  had  with 
the  six  pairs  of  birds  purchased  from  you  last 
May  and  which  were  received  at  my  home 
on  May  17. 

These  birds,  within  a  week  after  arrival, 
commenced  to  construct  their  nests  and,  out 
of  the  six  pairs,  five  began  hatching  within 
two  weeks  and  every  egg  produced  a  squab. 
Two  squabs  weighed' at  the  age  of  four  weeks 
and  two  days,  16  ounces,  after  plucking,  and 
the  remainder  weighed  from  eight  to  12 


ounces.  The  two  squabs,  weighing  16  ounces, 
were  the  largest  I  ever  saw  and  I  thought  you 
would  be  interested  in  knowing  the  weights. 

On  account  of  not  having  room  for  any 
more  birds,  I  am  killing  the  squabs  as  they 
mature  but  would  have  liked  to  have  mated 
the  two  large  squabs,  as  I  believe  that  their 
offspring  would  have  averaged  16  ounces 
each.— S.  P.  N.,  New  Jersey. 

DOUBLED  IN  THREE  MONTHS.  En- 
closed find  money  order  for  $1.70  for  which 
please  send  leg  band  outfit.  The  birds  I 
bought  of  you  in  April  are  doing  fine.  They 
have  doubled  themselves. — W.  A.,  Missouri. 

DOING  WELL  IN  CANADA.  Saw  your 
advertisement  in  R.  P.  Journal,  "Squab  book 
free."  Anything  new  in  it?  I  have  your 
book  of  1904  with  two  dozen  your  Homers. 
They  are  doing  fine.  What  would  you  sell 
me  one  dozen  more' — P.  I.  B.,  Quebec. 

ORDERS  FOR  A  FRIEND.  I  enclose  you 
herewith  a  check  for  $30.  Please  ship  to 
enclosed  address  12  pairs  of  your  Extra 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  Be  sure  to  send 
him  some  nice  ones. 

Those  we  bought  of  you  some  time  back 
are  doing  nicely  and  if  these  show  up  as  well 
I  think  that  I  will  be  able  to  send  you  some 
more  orders  soon. — S.  W.  T.,  Georgia. 

HAS  DEALT  WITH  THE  FAKIRS.     The 

pigeons  that  you  shioped  to  us  have  arrived 
in  fine  condition  and  the  best  of  health.  We 
are  shipping  back  to  you,  via  American 
Express  the  wicker  basket  in  which  you  sent 
our  pigeons.  Also  our  many  thanks  for  the 
trouble  you  took  in  selecting  the  different 
colored  pairs. 

I  wish  to  say  that  the  pigeons  are  beauti- 
fully mated,  because  one  pair  have  started 
in  business  already,  the  hen  having  laid  two 
eggs,  and  all  the  others  have  showed  promis- 
ing signs  of  mating. 

After  having  dealt  with  poultry  fakirs  and 
receiving  their  treatment,  I  fully  appreciate 
your  kind  treatment  which  is  so  unlike  that 
of  these  fakirs,  but  your  endeavors  are  not  in 
vain,  as  I  soon  expect  to  order  some  more 
pairs.  Your  treatment  has  encouraged  me. 
I  have  provided  an  excellent  house  and  pen 
for  them.  Thank  you  for  your  interest  shown 
in  this  matter. — L."  J.  H.,  Illinois. 

IN  THE  BLUE  GRASS  STATE.  Could 
you  kindly  tell  me  where  I  could  get  some 
white  Homers  ?  The  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 


New  laws  passed  a  year  ago  by  the  legislatures  of  Massachusetts  and  New  York  forbid  the 
sale  of  quail  except  in  the  months  of  November  and  December.  The  penalty  is  a  heavy  fine 
for  every  quail  found  in  the  brands  of  any  marketman  or  restaurant  keeper.  Quail  are  no 
longer  found  on  bills  of  fare  in  these  two  states  except  around  Thanksgiving  and  Christmas. 
Squabs  are  on  the  bills  of  fare  all  the  year  everywhere.  Other  states,  it  is  said  by  sportsmen, 
will  follow  Massachusetts  and  New  York  with  a  similar  game  law. 

173 


1906  LETTERS     FROM     CUSTOMERS  1906 

STORIES    OF    SUCCESS    ON    THIS   PAGE    ARE    NEW.      THEY   WERE    RECEIVED   BY 
THE    PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY  OF  BOSTON  IN   NINE   MONTHS  OF    1906. 


I  got  from  you  are  doing  fine. — R.  L.  J., 
Kentucky. 

HIS  SECOND  ORDER.  Enclosed  please 
find  express  money  order  for  five  dollars  for 
which  please  send  me  three  pairs  of  your  No.  1 
Plymouth  Rocks  at  your  earliest  convenience. 
A  previous  order  which  I  received  from  you 
has  been  doing  fine. — J.  E.  D.,  Pennsylvania. 

PROLIFIC  BIRDS.  I  purchased  12  pairs 
Homers  of  you  about  18  months  ago  and  they 
have  done  fine  work  for  me.  I  have  50  pairs 
mated  birds,  saved  the  best  ones  and  sold  the 
second  class. — J.  A.  D.,  Pennsylvania. 

SENT  SISTER  GOOD  BIRDS.  I  enclose  a 
money  order  for  $17.88  for  which  please  send 
three  dozen  nappies  and  six  pairs  blue 
checkers.  You  sent  my  sister  such  fine  birds 
that  I  would  like  the  order  duplicated. — H. 
S.  B.,  New  York. 

RECOMMENDS  OUR  BIRDS  TO  EVERY- 
BODY. The  birds  arrived  in  good  order  and 
I  am  pleased  with  them.  I  have  14  fine  birds 
from  the  first  ones  I  bought  of  you  and  I  think 
the  last  four  pairs  will  go  to  work  soon.  I 
recommend  your  birds  to  everybody. — J.  M. 
M.,  Philadelphia. 

HE  KNOWS  OUR  TEACHINGS  ARE 
RIGHT.  I  have  read  your  Manual  carefully, 
studied  every  point  as  I  went,  because  I 
wanted  to  impress  it  on  my  mind.  I  have 
found  in  my  own  experience  that  pigeons  do 
just  as  your  Manual  says.  Your  book  is 
worth  two  or  three  dollars  instead  of  50  cents. 

I  want  to  thank  you  for  the  favor  you  did 
at  finding  the  weight  and  charges  of  some 
things  for  me.  Would  you  kindly  tell  me 
what  would  be  the  cost  of  freight  charges  on 
one  hundred,  two  hundred  and  three  hundred 
pounds  of  grain? — G.  A.  S.,  Georgia. 

FIVE  DOLLARS  A  PAIR  WOULD  NOT 
BUY  HIS.  Birds  came  Friday  at  noon,  and 
accept  many  thanks  for  the  fine  birds  you  sent 
to  me.  My  friend  says  $5.00  per  pair  would 
not  buy  his. — J.  P.  B.,  Georgia. 

PLEASANT  BUSINESS  FOR  A  WOMAN. 

You  will  possibly  remember  that  a  year  ago 
last  April  I  bought  from  you  twenty-five  pairs 
of  your  Extra  Homers. 

I  now  have  some  eighty  pairs  in  my  house 
and  have  used  something  like  two  hundred 
squabs.  My  birds  have  done  well  and  I  have 
lost  only  one  of  my  original  stock. 

I  am  thoroughly  convinced  that  there  is 
money  raising  squabs  and  it  is  a  very  pleasant 
business  for  a  woman,  requiring  only  a  little 


time  each  day  to  attend  to  them  and  one  soon 
becomes  very  much  attached  to  them — Mrs 
M.  L.,  Kentucky. 

GENEROUS   TREATMENT.      The    pigeon 

that  I  wrote  you  about  a  few  days  ago  has 
died.  I  think  it  must  have  been  injured  in 
shipping.  It  was  a  female.  I  think  your 
promise  to  send  another  a  very  generous  one, 
and  I  would  appreciate  it  very  much.  In 
about  two  or  three  months  I  expect  to  order 
more  birds  of  you.  The  others  are  doing 
excellently. — A.  H.  B.,  Massachusetts. 

TRADE  BEGETS  TRADE.  I  have  been 
instrumental  in  making  some  sales  of  pigeons 
for  you.  At  least  I  have  recommended  you  to 
several  people  who  said  they  would  buy  of  you. 
Did  a  doctor  of  Fairhope  buy  a  lot 
of  pigeons  of  you?  He  came  over  here  to  see 
me  about  what  I  thought  of  the  business  and  I 
recommended  you  to  him  strongly.  I  just 
sold  30  pair  of  my  pigeons  to  Dr.  O.  F.  Caw- 
thon  and  E.  J.  Buck  and  I  recommended  them 
to  buy  10  or  12  pairs  of  you.  I  will  continue 
to  advertise  you  all  I  can.  Later  on  I  want 
to  rearrange  my  house  and  build  up  a  big 
place  and  I  will  send  to  you  for  what  I  need. 
— M.  O.,  Alabama. 

GOOD     INCREASE     IN     SIX     MONTHS. 

Yesterday  I  wrote  you  for  the  Manual  or 
National  Standard  Squab  Book,  but  I  forgot 
to  tell  you  of  some  of  your  birds  I  have  seen. 
Last  August  or  September  a  doctor  friend  of 
mine  in  Brunswick  bought  of  you  six  pairs  of 
Homers.  In  two  or  three  weeks  they  began 
to  lay  and  hatch.  He  sold  four  or  five  pairs 
at  $1 .00  to  $2.00  a  pair.  He  has  now  between 
seventy  and  eighty  total.  They  are  beauties 
and  if  mine  are  as  pretty  and  do  as  well  I  don't 
think  I  will  be  disappointed.  Please  send 
Manual  as  quick  as  possible. — G.  S.,  Georgia. 

GOOD  RECORD  FOR  FIRST  MONTH.     I 

deem  it  will  be  gratifying  if  you  know  how  the 
13  pair  of  Homers  I  received  from  you  on  May 
3d  are  doing. 

There  has  not  been  a  sick  one  in  the  lot  and 
they  are  very  much  admired  by  all  who  see 
them.,  and  are  pronounced  first-class  Extra 
stock. 

They  are  contented  and  very  busy  all  the 
time.  Eight  pairs  are  breeding  now,  with 
three  nests  each  haying  a  pair  of  nice  healthy 
squabs.  I  think  this  a  splendid  record  for  the 
first  month  in  a  new  home. — S.  H.  W.,  Penn- 
sylvania. 

LOST  HIS  TEXT  BOOK.  Please  find  en- 
closed 50  cents,  and  send  me  another  Nat- 
ional Standard  Squab  Book.  I  have  mis- 


Remember,  these  are  stories  told  in  1906,  by  customers  who  are  really  raising  squabs 
with  our  birds  and  not  merely  talking  about  what  they  are  going  to  do.  They  are  getting 
satisfactory  results  day  after  day. 

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1906  LETTERS     FROM     CUSTOMERS  1906 

STORIES   OF    SUCCESS   ON   THIS    PAGE   ARE   NEW.       THEY  WERE    RECEIVED    BY 
THE  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB    COMPANY   OF  BOSTON  IN   NINE    MONTHS  OF   1906 


placed  my  other  one  and  can't  find  it.  My 
birds  are  doing  well.  I  have  had  15  pairs  of 
young  birds  since  I  had  them.  I  sold  one  pair 
of  old  white  birds  for  three  dollars  to  a  bird 
store.— H.  K.,  Missouri. 

ATTRACTING  ATTENTION.  Please  to 
send  some  literature  to  address  of  gentleman 
enclosed,  descriptive  of  the  squab  business, 
and  give  him  prices  on  same.  I  have  been 
talking  with  him  in  regard  to  the  business  and 
as  he  has  a  couple  of  farms  over  in  Michigan, 
I  have  no  doubt  but  what  he  will  make  an 
investment. 

The  pigeons  that  I  purchased  of  you  last 
spring  are  doing  very  nicely.  Our  pen  is 
attracting  C9nsiderable  attention.  We  have 
about  75  in  it  now  and  we  are  about  to  build 
larger  accommodations. — T.  T.,  Illinois. 

ENLARGING  PLANT.  Will  you  kindly 
advise  the  address  of  party  who  purchases 
pigeon  manure? 

My  birds  are  getting  along  very  nicely. 
Intend  putting  up  a  large  house  for  them  in 
the  near  future  and  will  write  you  later  regard- 
ing wire  for  flies. — B.  T.,  New  York. 

SWAMPED  WITH  SQUAB  ORDERS.  It 

is  impossible  for  me  to  fill  the  orders  that  I 
have  for  squabs.  I  am  sending  you  an  order. 
Please  get  them  out  as  soon  as  possible. 
When  I  receive  them,  I  will  order  another 
dozen  Extras.  I  now  have  about  350  pair  of 
breeders.  They  are  doing  fine. —  H.  S., 
Louisiana. 

SATISFIED  WITH  ALL.  I  received  the 
two  baskets  containing  36  birds  on  Thursday. 
Pardon  delay  in  not  answering  sooner,  as  I 
was  out  of  town.  I  am  perfectly  satisfied 
with  all  the  birds  I  bought  of  you  and  hope  to 
be  able  in  the  future  to  secure  more.  Am 
shipping  the  two  baskets  this  morning  by 
National  express,  homeward  bound. — J.  W., 
New  York. 

GOOD  REPORT.  Please  find  enclosed  a 
money  order  for  which  please  ship  me  12  pair 
pigeons  as  I  saw  some  birds  which  you  shipped 
to  Mr.  Walter  of  this  town.  I  received  a 
booklet  from  your  firm  some  time  ago  but  did 
not  order  birds  until  I  saw  Mr.  Walter  report 
on  his.  I  decided  to  give  you  an  order  if 
you  can  send  me  mixed  colors.  Ship  via 
Adams  express.  Wishing  you  success. — L.  D., 
Pennsylvania. 

ONE  YEAR'S  GOOD  TRIAL.  Quote  me 
prices  on  your  No.  1  Homers.  Those  I 
bought  of  you  one  year  ago  are  doing  nicely. 
— C.  M.  R.,  Pennsylvania. 


THIS  LETTER  WAS  WRITTEN  BY  ONE 
OF  OUR  CUSTOMERS  TO  HIS  FRIEND  IN 
A  NEIGHBORING  TOWN.  I  am  pleased 
to  know  that  you  are  getting  along  so  nicely 
with  your  squab  house.  Wish  you  could  see 
the  last  comeignment  of  birds  I  received  from 
the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co.  of  Boston. 
They  are  beauties,  and  they  commenced 
building  their  nests  the  second  day  after  they 
arrived.  I  have  no  idea  where  you  are  going 
to  purchase  your  birds  but  I  certainly  think 
you  will  make  no  mistake  if  you  get  them 
from  Mr.  Rice,  for  the  ones  he  sent  me  are 
the  finest  I  ever  saw. 

I  am  confident  if  you  buy  your  birds  of  Mr. 
Rice  he  will  use  you  right  for  he  has  done  the 
right  thing  by  me.— F.  B.,  New  York. 

WANTS  500  PAIRS  IN  THE  SPRING.     My 

pigeons  are  doing  very  well  but  they  are 
shedding  a  great  many  feathers.  I  want  to 
make  arrangements  early  in  the  spring  for 
500  pairs  of  your  best  stock,  but  before  build- 
ing my  houses  I  want  to  take  a  trip  to  Melrose 
and  look  your  plant  over,  in  order  to  get  all 
the  ideas  about  construction,  maintenance, 
etc.  I  enclose  separate  slip  with  a  few 
questions  that  I  would  like  to  have  you  answer 
if  it  is  not  too  much  trouble. — J.  W.,  North 
Carolina. 

LOST  ONLY  ONE  BIRD,  AND  THAT  BY 
ACCIDENT.  I  recently  bought  a  few  pairs 
of  birds  that  you  sold  to  a  gentleman  in  this 
city  about  March  1st.  He  was  moving  to  St. 
Louis  and  had  to  dispose  of  the  birds.  With 
what  I  got  from  you  and  the  seven  pairs  I 
bought  from  him  I  now  have  65  birds.  Have 
never  lost  but  one  bird  and  that  was  my  own 
fault  for  I  was  experimenting  on  it  and  accident- 
ally killed  it.  I  have  a  market  in  St .  Louis  for 
all  I  can  ship  at  $4.00  per  dozen.  If  not  ask- 
ing too  much  would  you  kindly  give  me  the 
address  of  a  couple  of  Chicago  and  New  York 
commission  men  that  handle  squabs. — W.  E. 
T.,  Missouri. 

STARTED  WELL.  I  write  you  in  regard 
to  the  pigeons  you  will  remember  we  bought 
of  you  (24  pairs)  about  two  years  ago  this 
month.  Our  Homers  have  done  very  nicely. 
I  have  about  200  pairs.  We  sold  40  pairs 
last  year.  We  have  quite  a  nice  little  plant 
started. — A.  C.,  Wisconsin. 

DOING  WELL,  GOING  TC  BUILD.  Please 
send  me  a  plan  for  your  multiple  unit  house. 
My  pigeons  are  doing  fine. — D.  B.,  Illinois. 

STARTED     IN     TO     MAKE     REFORMS. 

Please   find  enclosed  check  for  nine   dollars 


Somebody  handling  the  small,  stunted  Homers  may  tell  you  that  eight  pounds  to  the 
dozen  is  good  weight  for  squabs  and  that  squabs  are  not  bred  to  weigh  more  from  Homers. 
That  is  true,  from  his  Homers.  In  these  pages  you  will  find  that  eight  pounds  is  low  for 
Plymouth  Rock  Homer  squabs. 

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STORIES   OF    SUCCESS    ON    THIS    PAGE    ARE    NEW.      THEY    WERE   RECEIVED    BY 
THE  PLYMOUTH  ROCK    SQUAB   COMPANY  OF  BOSTON  IN  NINE   MONTHS  OF   1906. 


tor  which  kindly  send  us  one  dozen  drinking 
fountains.  We  would  like  you  to  get  these 
off  as  soon  as  possible. 

I  was  very  much  pleased  with  my  visit  to 
your  plant  at  Melrose  which  I  made  yesterday, 
especially  with  your  facilities  for  mating 
birds  up.  Got  some  new  ideas  along  with  a 
lot  of  good  advice  from  your  superintendent, 
and  to-day  have  started  in  to  make  a  few 
new  reforms  here. — T.  H.  D.,  Connecticut. 

KNOWS  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  BY  EX- 
PERIENCE. I  saw  your  advertisement  of 
Homer  Pigeons  in  a  magazine.  I  would  like 
very  much  for  your  company  to  send  me  one 
of  your  catalogues,  and  how  much  you  charge 
for  Homers  a  pair.  I  know  from  experience 
that  a  Plymouth  Rock  Homer  is  a  good 
breeder.  A  friend  of  mine  got  some  from 
your  people  a  short  time  ago,  but  I  did  not 
inquire  as  to  the  price  of  them.  In  answer 
to  letter  from  you,  I  will  send  for  some,  and 
if  they  are  satisfactory,  I  will  be  glad  to  get 
more,  as  I  am  a  great  pigeon  fancier. — W. 
A.,  Illinois. 

ONE  YEAR'S  SATISFACTION.  Send  one 
bushel  of  Kaffir  corn  and  one  bushel  of  Canada 
peas  to  me.  It  may  interest  you  to  know  that 
the  birds  I  bought  from  you  a  year  ago  are  in 
every  way  satisfactory.  I  have  doubled  the 
number  of  workers  in  that  time  and  have  had 
all  I  wanted  for  my  own  table,  and  sold  quite  a 
number. — J.  B.  H.,  Massachusetts. 

SOME  WEIGH  14  OUNCES  WHEN  15 
DAYS  OLD.  I  received  your  pigeons  in  May 
when  I  was  in  Longueuil.  They  have  done 
well,  as  I  have  had  some  which  weigh  14 
ounces  at  15  days  old.  What  do  you  think 
of  a  mirror  in  my  squab  house?  I  will  be 
very  pleased  to  receive  all  your  advertising 
booklets. — G.  C.,  Canada. 

SUNFLOWER  SEEDS  ARE  GOOD.  Your 
book  doesn't  say  anything  about  feeding 
pigeons  sunflower  seeds.  Will  they  eatjthem 


or  isn't  it  good  for  them  to  have  them  ? 
let  me  know.  The  pigeons  I  got  from  you  are 
doing  pretty  well,  I  think.  I  may  get  more 
next  year. — B.  J.,  Vermont. 

Answer.  Sunflower  seeds  are  a  good  pigeon 
food  and  are  used  by  many  of  our  customers. 
They  are  rich  and  oily  and  should  not  be  fed 
in  excess,  but  as  a  dainty.  A  good  way  to 
feed  them  is  to  throw  the  whole  head  in  front 
of  the  birds  and  let  them  pick  out  the  seeds 
themselves  with  their  bills. 

BREED  WELL  IN  CALIFORNIA.  En- 
closed find  money  order  for  40  cents  for  which 


kindly  send  me  two  feet  of  your  aluminum 
tubing  for  bands.  Also  send  one  of  your 
price  lists,  as  mine  has  been  mislaid. 
Twenty-four  pairs  of  Homers  purchased  of 
you  one  year  ago  are  doing  fine.  Flock  now 
numbers  150.— W.  J.  M.,  California. 

CONTINUOUS  SATISFACTION.  Enclosed 
find  check  which  is  to  cover  enclosed  order. 
All  the  birds  which  you  have  sent  me  so  far 
are  very  satisfactory. — G.  S.,  New  York. 

FINEST  BIRDS  AROUND.  Your  birds  I 
bought  of  you  a  year  ago  are  going  fine — the 
finest  birds  around,  so  my  friends  say. — Mrs. 
J.  J.  M.,  Massachusetts. 

HOTEL  KEEPER  RAISING  HIS  TABLE 
SQUABS.  Am  very  glad  to  know  that  you 
were  pleased  with  our  menus  and  will  con- 
tinue mailing  them  to  you  from  time  to  time 
if  you  do  not  object.  I  hope  that  the  temp- 
tation will  be  strong  enough  to  cause  you  to 
come  to  our  city  and  look  over  our  squab 
farm.  I  have  been  quite  successful  and  have 
a  fine  lot  of  birds.  It  is  more  than  likely, 
however,  that  I  shall  want  some  additional 
birds  in  the  very  near  future.  I  would  like  a 
few  show  Hpmers,  Dragoons  and  Runts' 
For  squab  raising  purposes,  I  could  not  ask 
anything  better  than  I  now  have.  Will  mail 
you  an  order  for  supplies  in  a  few  days. — W. 
S.,  Georgia. 

BEAUTIFUL,  HEALTHY  BIRDS.  Will  you 
please  quote  me  the  price  of  your  wicker 
shipping  baskets,  size  for  12  pairs,  or  kindly 
forward  me  the  address  of  the  manufacturers 
of  same.  Also  state  in  your  letter  if  the  drop- 
pings must  be  entirely  free  from  straw  and 
feathers,  or  reasonably  so,  to  satisfy  the  pur- 
chasers at  the  tanneries.  The  six  pairs  I  pur- 
chased of  you  two  years  ago  have  increased  to 
150  or  170,  besides  what  I  have  killed,  and  the 
stock  has  proven  entirely  satisfactory  in  every 
way.  I  have  taken  pains  to  follow  your 
instructions  to  the  letter  so  now  I  have  the 
above  number  of  beautiful,  healthy  birds. — 
W.  H.  Y..  New  York. 

Answer.  It  is  impossible  to  get  all  straw 
and  feathers  entirely  out  of  the  manure. 
Sweep  out  what  you  can  with  a  broom  before 
cleaning  the  squab  -house.  The  leather  peo- 
ple do  not  care  if  some  Fcraw  and  feathers  get 
in  but  they  do  not  waat  gravel  and  tobacco 
stems.  The  latter  discolor  and  stain  when 
wet. 

BIRDS    THAT    FLY    AWAY.     On    about 

April  20,  1905,  we  bought  of  you  six  Plymouth 
Rock  Homer  pigeons.  Since  then  they  have 


For  six  years  we  have  had  a  complete  monopoly  of  the  fine  trade  cf  the  United  States.  W« 
sell  more  Homers  every  year  than  all  other  firms  and  breeders  combined.  The  reason  for  this 
is  that  our  birds  demonstrate  their  value  and  make  friends  wherever  they  go.  This  supremacy 
We  intend  to  maintain. 

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STORIES   OF    SUCCESS    ON  THIS   PAGE  ARE    NEW.       THEY    WERE    RECEIVED    BY 
THE  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB   COMPANY  OF  BOSTON  IN  NINE    MONTHS    OF    1906. 


done  exceedingly  well,  and  we  have  got  a 
pretty  good  start  in  pigeons  now,  but  what 
I  write  you  to-day  for  is  this.  This  morning 
at  9  o'clock  one  of  the  birds  we  got  of  you  got 
out  of  the  flying  pen.  She  flew  into  the  air  and 
started  for  Boston.  This  was  a  brown  bird, 
and  we  thought  she  might  arrive  at  her 
destination,  so  I  wish  you  to  keep  a  lookout 
for  her  and  see  if  you  can  tell  if  she  gets  there. 
If  she  does  arrive,  would  you  mind  letting  me 
know?  I  am  anxious  to  know  if  she  gets 
there.  This  was  a  female  bird  and  she  left 
a  young  bird  about  a  week  old  in  the  nest. — 
R.  H.,  Iowa. 

Answer.  No  Homer  would  fly  that  dis- 
tance. We  receive  many  letters  like  the 
above.  Customers  should  watch  the  doors 
of  squab-house  and  pens  and  not  let  their 
birds  get  away. 

LARGE,  HEAVY  AND  FULL-BREASTED. 

Enclosed  find  money  order  for  one  more 
dozen  pairs  of  your  Extra  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers. 

I  did  not  rush  a  letter  down  to  you  the 
same  afternoon  I  received  the  other  birds  for 
the  reason  that  I  wanted  to  try  them  out 
first.  The  dozen  pair  of  Plymouth  Rocks, 
on  their  arrival  weighed  exactly  22  pounds, 
while  a  few  days  later  I  received  another 
dozen  pair  from  another  company  and  they 
weighed  only  17  pounds.  They  were  not 
full-breasted  like  your  birds. 

I  received  first  shipment  on  the  2nd  of 
March.  They  are  now  working  like  good 
fellows.  Have  three  nests  with  eggs  in. 

You  will  hear  from  me  occasionally  with 
further  orders. — A.  P.  S.,  Michigan. 

WANTS    TO    BUY    SOME    GOOD    ONES. 

Kindly  send  your  catalogue  and  any  other 
printed  matter  you  have  about  pigeons.  An 
acquaintance  wants  to  buy  some  good  birds 
and  he  is  going  to  look  at  my  lot  that  I 
received  last  Thursday.  I  feel  sure  I  can 
land  him  as  a  customer  for  you. — H.  D.  C., 
Pennsylvania. 

GOING  SLOWLY.  Please  send  free  book, 
"How  to  Make  Money  with  Squabs."  The 
birds  bought  of  you  are  doing  well  now  and 
some  of  their  young  are  hatching.  Have 
enough  now  to  ship  a  dozen  a  month  now. — 
W.  M.,  Maryland. 

JUST  THE  BIRDS.  I  thought  I  would 
let  you  know  how  my  birds  are  getting  along. 
They  arrived  on  Tuesday,  May  1st,  as  I  wrote 
you.  Thursday  of  the  same  week  one  pair 
had  commenced  to  build.  At  this  writing 
four  pairs  have  eggs.  The  others  are  build- 
ing. That  is  what  I  call  going  right  to  work. 


I  am  very  much  pleased  with  them.  There 
was  a  party  here  this  morning  looking  at 
them.  He  talks  of  putting  in  one  hundred 
pair,  and  says  they  are  just  the  birds  that  he 
wants.  He  is  coming  up  to  see  your  plant. 
Of  course  I  showed  him  my  birds  and  told 
him  just  what  they  were  doing  and  whery 
they  came  from  so  I  think  he  will  be  a  cus- 
tomer for  you.  I  shall  advertise  the  Plymouth 
Rock  birds  wherever  I  have  a  chance.  Thank 
you  for  your  kindness. — J.  C.,  New  Jersey. 

SQUABS  WEIGHING  ONE  POUND  APIECE 
WHEN  ONE  MONTH  OLD.  I  received  my 
pigeons  from  you  April  20,  1905.  I  have  one 
pair  that  has  hatched  eleven  (11)  times  up  to 
the  22nd  day  of  April,  1906,  so  you  can  see 
that  they  have  had  fairly  good  care.  I  now 
have  110  birds  and  am  getting  them  fast  now 
and  will  commence  shipping  when  I  get  70 
or  80  pairs.  I  have  weighed  a  number  of 
birds  four  weeks  old  that  weighed  16  ounces 
and  I  think  that  is  very  good. — L.  F.,  Iowa. 

QUICKLY  AT  WORK.  Please  pardon  my 
delay  in  acknowledging  the  receipt  (right 
side  up)  of  the  pigeons  you  shipped  to  me  at 
Harpers  Ferry,  W.  Va.,  which  place  I  left 
before  the  shipment  arrived.  My  wife 
informed  me  that  they  were  all  in  good  shape 
and  the  finest  specimens  she  ever  saw.  Also 
thought  they  had  returned  the  baskets  to  you. 
As  soon  as  I  go  home,  which  will  be  ia  a  few 
days,  will  send  you  another  order.  My  wife's 
third  letter  tells  me  that  16  pairs  cut  of  the  18 
have  gone  to  setting.  Don.'t  think  you  can 
beat  that  at  home.  We  have  everything  good 
to  feed  them,  peas,  kaffir  corn,  wheat  and 
millet,  and  \ve  intend  to  make  a  success  of 
the  business. — W.  S.,  Virginia. 

SQUABS  HAVE  AVERAGED  ONE  POUND 
APIECE.  Enclosed  please  find  certified 
check  for  $173.98  for  which  kindly  send  me 
birds  and  supplies  as  enclosed.  Kindly  send 
the  shipment  of  birds  as  soon  as  possible  as 
I  would  like  to  receive  them  before  Tuesday. 
All  my  birds  are  doing  nicely.  My  squabs, 
under  your  system  of  feeding,  have  averaged 
a  pound  apiece  and  I  expect  from  the  present 
outlook  of  things  to  make  them  average  a 
good  deal  more. — E.  H.  M.,  Pennsylvania. 

THIS  WOMAN  IN  BRITISH  COLUMBIA 
KNOWS  WHAT  A  FINE  HOMER  IS.  A 
week  ago  I  wrote  you  complaining  of  non- 
acknowledgment  of  my  remittance  sent  in 
with  my  order.  As  I  was  beginning  to 
wonder  if  it  had  miscarried,  I  am  pleased  to 
be  able  to  inform  you  that  I  received  the  best 
possible  answer  to  my  letter  in  arrival  of 
the  birds  I  ordered  from  you.  They  arrived 


The  equipment  at  our  farm  for  mating  birds  cost  $2000  and  no  expense  was  spared  to 
make  it  perfect.  A  thousand  mating  coops  are  in  constant  use.  The  principal  mating  house 
is  heated  by  hot  water  so  as  to  get  the  best  and  quickest  results  in  the  cold  months. 

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1906  LETTERS     FROM    CUSTOMERS  1906 

STORIES   OF    SUCCESS    ON   THIS    PAGE   ARE    NEW.     THEY    WERE    RECEIVED    BY 
THE  PLYMOUTH  ROCK    SQUAB  COMPANY  OF  BOSTON  IN  NINE   MONTHS  OF   1906. 


about  the  same  time  as  your  letter  (May  1st). 
All  of  them  are  in  first-class  condition  and  I 
am  very  pleased  with  them,  as  I  consider 
that  they  are  a  fine  lot  of  birds,  and  I  think  I 
know  what  a  fine  Homer  is  when  I  see  it,  as 
my  father  and  brothers  have  bred  and  sold 
trained  flying  Homers  for  years  in  Lancashire, 
England,  some  of  them  worth  twenty-five 
dollars  a  pair.  Although  I  never  heard  of 
squab  raising  before  I  came  to  Canada  three 
years  ago,  when  I  first  saw  your  book  adver- 
tised in  Mitnsey's  I  thought  it  was  some  kind 
of  game  bird  reared  in  captivity,  and  sent  for 
your  book  more  out  of  curiosity  than  any- 
thing else.  I  think  I  shall  like  the  business 
very  much  and  shall  probably  be  sending 
another  order  in  a  month  or  two  when  I  see 
how  i  •  o  on  with  the  birds  I  have  got.  Thank 
you  V>.y  much  for  the  two  pairs  extra  you 
sent,  also  nest  bowls.  They  were  a  very 
agreeable  surprise  to  me  as  I  did  not  expect 
anything  like  that  on  such  a  small  order. 
The  express  charges  were  six  dollars,  and  25 
cents  duty  on  nest  bowls.  If  you  would 
write  me  from  time  to  time  giving  me  your 
prices  I  shall  be  much  obliged. — Mrs  A.  R., 
Canada. 

SQUABS    WEIGHING    FROM    13    TO    16 

OUNCES.  Please  send  me  at  your  earliest 
convenience  the  names  of  reliable  merchants 
to  whom  I  can  ship  squabs,  in  New  York. 
The  80  pairs  I  bought  of  you  last  fall  are  doing 
well.  I  sold  squabs  that  weighed  from  13 
ounces  to  almost  one  pound  apiece.  I  have 
over  ICO  pairs  of  young  ones  that  I  am  sav- 
ing for  stock. — H.  J.,  Ohio. 

WORTH  THEIR  PRICE.  Some  time  ago 
I  sent  you  an  order  for  three  pairs  No.  1  and 
three  pairs  Extra  Homers,  stating  that  I 
wished  to  compare  with  Homers  a  friend  of 
mine  was  ordering  at  a  very  much  lower 
figure.  In  a  word,  after  due  comparison,  I 
order  six  more  pairs  Extras.  Please  send  me 
fine  birds. — C.  J.,  Illinois. 

SQUABS  WEIGHING  16  TO  17  OUNCES 
EACH.  Please  find  enclosed  remittance  for 
which  send  me  12  pairs  and  supplies  noted. 
The  dozen  pairs  you  sent  me  started  ir  to  do 
business  last  month,  having  been  moulting  up 
to  that  time.  The  first  two  pairs  squabs 
hatched,  at  one  month  old,  weighed  one  pound 
each,  with  one  that  was  17  ounces.  That  is 
very  good,  is  it  not?  I  am  well  pleased  with 
them.  Make  this  dozen  as  good  and  I  shall 
be  more  pleased. — C.  B.  G.,  Connecticut. 

HIS  FOURTH  ORDER.  Enclosed  you  will 
please  find  money  order  for  which  you  will 
please  send  me  as  soon  as  possible  one  dozen 


pairs  Extra  bred  Homers  (fourth  order.) — L 
C.,  Louisiana. 

SUPERIOR    IN    LOOKS    AND    WORKS. 

The  birds  (60  pairs)  arrived  on  the  late  train 
from  St.  Paul  on  Sunday  night  last,  and 
remained  in  the  depot  here  until  early  on  the 
follo%ying  morning  when  we  took  them  home. 
Outside  of  the  injured  ones  mentioned,  I  will 
say  that  the  birds  arrived  in  perfect  condition 
and  are  fully  up  to  what  we  expected  them  to 
be.  They  are  now  "  at  home  "  and  present 
^  beautiful  appearance.  The  birds  which  you 
sent  me  last  November  (nine  months  ago)  are 
entirely  satisfactory,  and  "  out-class "  any 

I  received  from  the or  those  which  my 

friend  here  received  from  the  same  people. 
Mine  are  plump,  his  are  "  cranish,"  long-legged 
and  long-necked.  I  would  not  keep  that  kind 
of  birds.  My  friend  has  not  accommodations 
for  pigeons,  and  wanted  to  sell  out.  A  doctor 
who  for  several  years  rented  offices  in  my  law 
office  building  here,  looked  them  over  with  the 
view  of  purchasing  the  outfit,  and  I  advised 
him  to  do  so,  to  get  a  start  in  the  business. 
He  visited  my  lofts,  and  saw  my  birds,  wanted 
to  buy  some  from  me,  and  after  he  saw  mine, 
he  would  not  buy  of  my  friend.  I  gave  him 
your  address,  but  have  not  seen  him  since, 
and  do  not  know  whether  he  has  made  a  pur- 
chase or  not.  I  have  none  to  sell  at  this  time 
as  we  are  trying  to  increase  the  flock  to  at 
least  1200,  for  which  we  have  ample  accommo- 
dations, then  we  will  begin  to  sell. 

There  is  no  mistake  in  saying  that  the  birds 
which  I  received  from  you,  out-class  those 

which  the have  sent  here.     If  your 

Mr.  Rice  should  ever  come  to  this  country  I 
would  be  pleased  to  have  him  stay  with  me 
and  look  over  the  "  greatest  "  farming  coun- 

%on  earth, 
y  elder  boy  (17  years  of  age)  visited  the 
great  Minnesota  State  Fair.  Saw  Dan  Patch 
break  his  record,  reducing  it  to  1.55  flat.  He 
looked  the  pigeons  over  as  a  matter  of  course, 
and  he  tells  me  that  he  could  find  no  Homers 
there  which  compared  with  ours.  He  intends 
to  exhibit  some  at  the  fair  next  fall. — H.  M., 
Minnesota. 

MADE  A  SUCCESS  AND  GOING  AHEAD 
ON  A  BIG  PLANT.  I  have  a  party  that  wants 
to  go  into  the  squab  business  with  me,  and  it 
is  possible  that  I  will  call  on  you  during  Nov- 
ember for  2000  breeders.  I  have  done  very 
well  with  the  800  I  have,  encouraging  enough 
to  put  in  quite  an  extensive  plant.  I  would 
like  to  have  your  personal  opinion  as  Jo 
whether  2000  birds  will  do  as  well  in  20  units  of 
100  birds  each  with  one  fly  12x48x200  as  they 
would  in  20  units  with  20  flies  10x12x48.  On. 


Our  whole  time  and  energies  are  given  to  squabs.  We  handle  trade  as  it  ought  to  be 
handled — promptly,  courteously  and  thoroughly,  with  every  detail  attended  to.  Letters  are 
answered  at  once.  It  is  a  business  with  us,  pushed  steadily  every  day  in  the  year  except  Sun- 
iays  and  holidays,  and  not  a  side  issue  or  an  amusement. 

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1906  LETTERS    FROM     CUSTOMERS  1906 

STORIES    OF    SUCCESS    ON    THIS    PAGE    ARE    NEW.      THEY    WERE    RECEIVED    BY 
THE    PLYMOUTH    ROCK    SQUAB  COMPANY    OF    BOSTON  IN  NINE   MONTHS   OF  1906. 


account  of  labor  I  would  prefer  the  one  large 
fly,  but  I  want  no  experiments  and  leave  the 
matter  with  you.  I  can  get  $4.00  per  dozen 
for  a  large  portion  of  my  squabs,  and  would 
like  to  have  an  opinion  as  to  what  5000  of 
your  breeders  would  net  us  yearly  when  we 
raise  our  own  feed  on  the  farm. 

WE  SUPPLY  HENS  TO  THOSE  WHO 
NEED  THEM.  After  recommending  your 
firm  to  A.  F.  Kennelley  of  this  city  and  he 
being  a  purchaser  from  you  recently,  I  find 
that  he  is  well  pleased  with  treatment  accord- 
ed him.  Enclosed  please  find  $5.00  for  five 
female  birds  to  be  used  as  breeders.  I  bought 
some  birds  from  a  friend  of  mine  and  he  had 
five  odd  cocks  which  I  want  to  mate  up. 
You  will  forward  these  by  first  express  to  my 
address. — H.  E.  W.,  Ohio., 

BEST  BIRDS  HE  EVER  SAW.  The 
Homers  ordered  from  you  reached  me  in  due 
time  and  in  excellent  condition.  They 
certainly  are  the  finest  birds  I  ever  saw.  I 
really  believe  they  are  a  finer  lot  than  the 
first  consignment,  if  that  be  possible.  The 
second  day  after  their  arrival  they  commenced 
building  their  nests,  which  I  imagine  is  a 
pretty  good  record. 

Some  of  my  friends  have  secured  birds  from 
other  parties  and  although  I  have  not  seen 
their  birds,  I  am  confident  they  can't  tell  me 
that  they  have  a  finer  lot  than  mine. 

If  I  have  an  opportunity  of  securing  you 
any  customers  I  shall  be  only  too  glad  to  do 
80.— B.  Y.,  New  York. 

BEST  HOMERS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  Birds 
received  in  Al  condition.  Your  birds  have 
stirred  up  quite  some  interest  here  and  what  I 
hear  from  people  who  know  is  that  your  birds 
are  the  best  in  the  colony.  As  it  is  I  am  well 
pleased  with  the  bunch.  I  have  a  house 
12  x  32  feet  divided  into  four  pens  8x9  feet 
with  a  three-foot  passage  running  the  length 
and  everything  up  to  date.  That  also  has 
opened  their  eyes  in  the  building  and  arrange- 
ments in  an  up-to-date  squab  house.  I  have 
had  the  birds  less  than  a  week  and  am  pretty 
well  advertised  already.  The  market  here 
is  strong  at  $3.00  to  $3.50  and  the  demand 
far  exceeds  the  supply. — C.  H.,  California. 

SOLD  YOUNGSTERS  FOR  $2  A  PAIR  IN 
KANSAS.  Enclosed  find  remittance  for  one 
leg  band  outfit.  My  pigeons  have  been  doing 
fine,  and  are  keeping  busy  all  the  time.  Have 
sold  off  the  young  pigeons  at  eight  weeks  old 
for  $2.00  per  pair.  What  is  the  difference  in 
Canada  peas  and  the  peas  we  raise  here? 
Will  the  common  peas  do  to  feed  to  the 
pigeons? — G.  W.  S.,  Kansas. 


LATEST  NEWS  FROM  THE  NEW  YORK 
MARKET;  HIGH  PRICES  WHICH  ARE 
GOING  HIGHER  BECAUSE  OF  THE  NEW 
LAW  FORBIDDING  ENTIRELY  THE  SALE 
OF  QUAIL  EXCEPT  IN  NOVEMBER  AND 
DECEMBER.  I  take  the  liberty  of  asking 
you  for  a  little  more  advice  for  the  birds  I 
bought  from  you  last  November.  Of  sick- 
ness I  have  not  seen  any  sign  of  it.  I  lost  only 
two  of  them,  one  of  apoplexy  I  think,  because 
it  fell  like  shot  dead,  the  other  one  died  of 
diarrhoea.  Of  the  young  squabs,  the  cas- 
ualties have  been  a  little  higher,  but  out  of 
50  I  did  not  lose  more  than  six,  or  12  per  100. 

Now  I  wish  you  would  give  me  your 
opinion  ho^  I  have  progressed,  if  I  am  on  the 
regular  avenge  or  if  I  am  under  it. 

The  pricts  for  squabs  on  the  r  ""  York 
market  have  been  very  high  all  whnti— have 
reached  as  high  as  $6.50  a  dozen  for  squabs 
of  over  10  pound  a  dozen,  and  34.50  for  birds 
of  near  eight  pound  or  so.  Of  course  private 
trade  is  better  and  I  have  been  able  to  sell 
squabs  for  50  cents  apiece  easily. 

I  have  a  set  of  birds  that  give  me  three 
eggs  and  have  hatched  them  successfully 
with  three  days  late  for  the  extra  one.  Does 
that  happen  often? — H.  G.,  New  York. 

WILL  NOT  BUY  ANY  HOMERS  BUT 
PLYMOUTH  ROCKS.  Last  May  I  ordered 
from  you  twel  re  Plymouth  Rock  Homers. 
They  arrived  on  the  eighth  of  May  and  on  the 
twelfth  of  the  stme  month  the  first  egg  was 
laid.  Five  pairs  of  them  went  to  work  almost 
immediately  and  have  been  at  work  ever 
since.  I  raised  the  squabs  during  the  summer. 
I  have  now  13  pairs  of  mature  pigeons.  Twelve 
pairs  work  constantly  and  I  am  very  much 
pleased  with  them  and  want  to  thank  you 
for  them  and  as  you  are  so  kind  as  to  offer  to 
answer  questions  and  to  help  we  people  who 
do  not  know  all  about  raising  squabs  I  shall 
be  so  much  obliged  if  you  will  give  me  a  little 
help.  My  present  ambition  is  to  increase  my 
plant.  I  want  to  buy  some  Extras  from  you 
as  soon  as  I  can  raise  the  capital.  I  can  buy 
Homers  nearer  home  but  yours  have  done  so 
well  for  me  that  whatever  new  stock  I  get  I 
would  like  to  get  from  you.  You  say  in  your 
book  that  you  will  give  your  patrons  the 
address  of  a  good  New  York  buyer.  Will  you 
please  send  me  the  address? — C.  O.,  New 


BRANCHING  OUT.  Please  quote  me  your 
best  figures  on  the  following:  Homer  pigeons 
in  pairs  ready  to  go  to  work  in  lots  of  20,  50 
and  100  pair  lots.  Hempseed  in  bushel  lots. 
Health  grit 'in  100  pound  lots.  I  have  your 
prices  of  last  year  but  presume  there  are  some 
changes.  I  purchased  12  pairs  of  Homers 
from  you  last  spring  and  they  raised  me  about 


These  are  strong  letters.     Read  them  over.      You  want  some  assurance,  when  you  buy 
pigeons,  that  you  will  be  treated  right,  as  these  customers  were. 

182 


1906  LETTERS     FROM     CUSTOMERS  1906 

STORIES    OF    SUCCESS    ON    THIS    PAGE    ARE    NEW.      THEY   WERE    RECEIVED   BY 
THE    PLYMOUTH    ROCK   SQUAB  COMPANY  OF  BOSTON   IN   NINE    MONTHS  OF  1906. 


60  young  ones  by  the  first  of  November. — 
R.  W.  H.,  Iowa. 

BLOOD  AND  HIGH  BREEDING  COUNT. 

Enclosed  find  draft  for  which  you  will  send 
by  Pacific  express,  Extra  Homers,  as  per 
memorandum.  Several  weeks  ago  I  ordered 

1 5  pairs  of .  When  the  birds  came  I  did  not 

think  they  were  much  more  than  common 
birds.  A  friend  in  our  town  wanted  some 
breeders  and  I  got  him  to  try  your  birds. 
They  came  last  night.  There  is  a  big  differ- 
ence between  the  birds.  My  first  birds  do 
not  show  any  white  on  bill  to  amount  to  any- 
thing and  they  are  most  all  white  or  very 
light  color.  Yours  show  their  high  breeding. 
Blood  tells,  when  you  put  them  together.  I 
sold  mine  at  half  price  to-day  to  get  shut  of 
them.  What  I  want  is  blooded  stock  or 
nothing.  Please  send  me  a  good  collection 
of  assorted  colors,  blues,  reds  and  checkers. 
I  ordered  one  of  your  squab  books  some  time 
ago  and  I  think  it  the  best  I  ever  read  on 
pigeons. — J.  A.,  Missouri. 

TRIFLING  DEATH  LOSSES.  In  January 
of  this  year  I  purchased  12  pairs  of  your 
Extras.  They  are  now  (April)  in  fine  condi- 
tion and  have  hatched  out  24  young  ones,  22 
of  which  are  living  and  doing  fine. — W.  J., 
Massachusetts. 

SEVEN  PAIRS  WORTH  $25,  THIS 
ARKANSAS  CUSTOMER  THINKS.  Writing 
you  a  few  lines  to  let  you  know  that  I  got  the 
pigeons  all  O.K.  They  were  all  well.  I  got 
them  two  weeks  to-day  and  out  of  the  seven 
pairs,  four  pairs  of  them  have  built  and  are 
setting  on  eggs  already.  I  would  have 
written  you  sooner  but  wanted  to  see  what 
they  were  going  to  do.  I  would  not  take 
$25  for  the  seven  pairs.  Sending  the  basket 
back  this  evening  with  the  letter.  You  can 
put  this  letter  on  your  list.  I  think  it  is  the 
only  one  from  Arkansas. — C.  W.,  Arkansas. 

GOOD  SHOWING  AFTER  THEIR  3000- 
MILE  JOURNEY.  Enclosed  please  find  Wells 
Fargo  Express  money  order  for  $1.70  for  which 
please  send  me  by  mail  post  paid,  one  leg 
band  outfit  at  your  very  earliest  convenience. 
My  birds  received  from  you  March  17  are 
doing  fine.  They  got  right  to  work  and  one 
month  from  the  day  I  received  them  I  had 
three  pairs  of  squabs  hatch.  Since  then  one 
more  pair  has  hatched  and  two  more  pairs  are 
setting  and  two  pairs  building.  I  think  that 
is  a  pretty  good  showing  in  six  weeks  for  10 
pairs  after  travelling  3000  miles.  I  lost  one 
hen.  She  got  sick  and  I  could  not  find  what 
was  the  trouble.  She  did  not  have  diarrhoea, 
but  just  seemed  to  droop  and  die.  The 
remainder  of  them  are  as  fine  as  could  be. 


Will  you  please  quote  me  prices  on  nine  pail 
Extra  Homers  to  be  delivered  in  June  or  July. 
Caunot  tell  yet  just  when  I  will  be  ready  for 
them,  but  either  June  or  July  sure.  Best 
wishes  for  your  continued  success. — E.  M., 
California. 

ARKANSAS  CUSTOMER  IS  PLEASED 
WITH  SQUARENESS.  I  received  your  Man- 
ual a  day  after  I  wrote  that  letter,  and  I 
received  another  one.  I  have  sold  both  of 
them,  and  find  enclosed  $1.00  to  pay  for  your 
extra  one  and  another  one  for  myself.  You 
people  treated  me  so  well  I  won't  buy  any 
Homers  from  anybody  else.  I  was  surprised 
at  your  squareness  and  have  told  every  one 
about  it  and  got  them  all  a-going  in  the  right 
direction.  I  was  very,  very  much  pleased 
with  your  Manual. — G.  R.,  Arkansas. 

HIS    MONEY    TALKS    FOR    HIM.     Last 

August  I  purchased  124  pairs  of  your  Extras 
and  am  now  in  the  market  for  about  375  pairs 
more.  I  am  also  in  need  of  some  extra  hens 
of  the  same  quality.  Can  you  supply  same? 
Also  let  me  know  if  you  can  furnish  these  birds 
in  pairs  in  the  following  colors:  blues,  blue 
checkers  and  red  checkers  in  any  number  I 
may  desire.  Please  state  your  very  lowest 
price  on  above  number  of  pairs.  Let  me  hear 
from  you  by  return  mail,  as  I  am  in  a  great 
rush  for  the  birds. — S.  T.,  Indiana. 

CANNOT  SAY  TOO  MUCH  IN  PRAISE  OF 
OUR  HEALTH  GRIT.  Enclosed  find  $2.00 
for  100  pounds  of  health  grit.  I  find  this  grit 
the  best  on  the  market  for  pigeons.  I  cannot 
say  too  much  for  it  as  it  keeps  the  pigeons  in 
fine  health.  Although  the  price  is  high  I 
would  never  be  without  it.  I  have  quite  a 
few  people  that  want  to  get  this  grit  from  me. 
Can  you  let  me  have  it  cheaper,  so  that  I  can 
make  something  out  of  it?  Answer  and  let 
me  know. — R.  O.,  New  Jersey. 

BIG  SQUAB  FARM  WHOSE  OWNER 
BOUGHT  HIS  BREEDERS  OF  US.  I  visited 
a  squab  farm  last  Sunday  and  before  I  left 
found  that  the  owner  bought  his  breeders  of 
your  company,  five  hundred  pairs.  He  has 
1 100  pairs  at  present  and  is  making  a  fortune. 
After  seeing  this  farm  I  was  more  than  con- 
vinced that  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co. 
is  O.  K.  If  I  get  as  good  a  lot  of  birds  as 
he  has  I  certainly  will  be  pleased. 

I  am  sorry  that  I  did  not  figure  on  handling 
more  birds  than  I  did.  Have  built  house  to 
accommodate  100  birds.  Enclosed  find  stamps 
for  which  please  send  plans  and  specifications 
for  squab  houses.  No  doubt  you  will  receive 
a  larger  order  from  me  in  a  short  time.  Will 
notify  you  in  a  few  days  when  to  ship  birds. 


Beware  of  anybody  who  tries  to  make  a  sale  to  you  by  running  down  the  Plymouth  Rock 
Squab  Co.     Insist  that  he  show  you  letters  like  these  in  proof  of  his  claims. 

183 


1906  LETTERS     FROM     CUSTOMERS  1906 

STORIES   OF   SUCCESS    ON   THIS   PAGE    ARE   NEW.      THEY   WERE   RECEIVED   BY 
THE  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB    COMPANY   OF  BOSTON  IN  NINE  MONTHS    OF    1906. 


I  want  to  have  everything  complete  before  I 
have  them  shipped. — I.  S..  New  York. 

HAS  TRIED  THEM  AND  KNOWS.  I  am 

at  present  debating  with  myself  and  with 
some  of  my  relations  in  regard  to  starting  in 
the  pigeon  business.  My  folks  are  trying  to 
persuade  me  that  it  is  going  to  cost  too  much 
to  start,  and  that  I  will  not  realize  any  great 
profits  very  soon.  As  I  see,  and  at  the  best 
I  can  figure  it  out,  it  will  take  about  $100  to 
start  in  with  fifty  pairs  of  breeders  and  build  a 
home  to  accommodate  them,  getting  the  price 
of  building  down  as  low  as  possible  with  lum- 
ber at  its  present  price.  What  I  want  to 
know  is,  do  you  think  it  would  pay  me  to  start 
and  about  how  long  do  you  think  it  would 
take  to  get  back  the  amount  paid  out  if  I 
relied  entirely  on  the  birds  ? 

I  think  I  could  get  it  back  in  four  months 
at  the  most,  because  I  have  three  pairs  I  pur- 
chased of  you  in  January,  besides  the  young 
ones  I  have  raised.  I  have  watched  and  studied 
their  ways  and  know  something  about  them. 
I  know  how  fast  they  breed,  etc.  Now  am  I 
right  in  my  estimation  as  to  the  time  it  would 
take  to  regain  my  money  and  would  you 
advise  me  to  start  if  possible  ?  My  birds  I 
have  now  are  doing  fine. — S.  A.,  Massachusetts. 

MANURE  FOR  SALE.  Will  you  please 
give  me  the  address  of  some  firm  to  which  I 
can  sell  my  pigeon  manure  ?  My  pigeons  are 
doing  well  this  spring. — T.  O.,  New  York. 

RHODE  ISLAND  SUCCESS.  I  am  enclos- 
ing money  order  for  which  kindly  send  me 
enclosed  supplies.  If  this  money  order  does 
not  cover  cost  do  not  delay  the  grain  but 
send  me  bill  for  extra.  My  birds  are  all  doing 
finely. — B.  O.,  Rhode  Island. 

THIS  IS  THE  KIND  OF  PLAIN  TALK  ONE 
LIKES  TO  HEAR.  I  am  finding  out  for  my- 
self if  there  was  money  in  squabs  and  I  have 
found  it  to  be  true  by  other  squab  breeders. 
I  was  to  a  man's  place  this  afternoon  and  he 
said  he  had  no  trouble  in  selling  his  squabs 
for  a  good  price.  I  guess  the  only  trouble 
is  people  are  sleeping  half  the  time.  That's 
why  they  don't  know  much  about  squab 
breeding.  If  a  fellow  doesn't  believe  in  squab 
breeding,  all  he  has  to  do  is  to  open  his  eyes 
and  look  around.  I've  been  to  a  couple  of 
bird  shows  and  have  seen  nothing  to  go  ahead 
of  your  birds  yet.  My  friend  was  saying  what 
nice  birds  they  had  at  the  show,  and  I  thought 
I  would  go  down  with  him.  We  had  to  pay 
25  cents  to  get  in.  After  we  looked  at  the 
birds,  he  said  that  mine  would  get  the  first 
prize  if  I  would  take  them  down.  Then  I 
found  out  that  I  have  some  of  the  biggest  birds 


in  town.  I  would  like  to  get  some  pictures 
taken  and  show  you  some  of  the  birds  I  got 
from  yours.  I  found  your  book  to  be  a  book 
anybody  can  read  and  knows  what  he  is  read- 
ing about.  Everything  is  so  plain — what  a 
beginner  wants  to  know  about  breeding  birds. 
I  was  thinking  of  sending  you  my  third  order. 
If  I  do,  it  will  be  next  week.  Hoping  you  are 
doing  a  good  business.  My  birds  are  doing 
fine.  Your  birds  are  the  best  breeders  and  I 
won't  take  any  others. — S.  C.  H.,  Wisconsin. 

NEST  BOWLS  ALL  RIGHT.  Please  find 
a  money  order  for  one  dozen  more  of  your  nest 
bowls.  They  are  O.  K.  Put  them  in  the 
house  one  evening  and  on  going  in  the  next 
found  that  a  pair  had  already  taken  posses- 
sion and  started  a  nest.  Have  11  pair  setting 
on  eggs  and  they  are  doing  fine.  I  intend  to 
purchase  more  from  you  later  as  I  am  going 
to  build  a  unit  to  start  this  spring  and  enclose 
money  for  your  plans  for  squab  houses. 
Wishing  you  every  success. — W.  A.,  Massa- 
chusetts. 

ENLARGING.  Enclosed  find  check  for 
which  please  send  me  seven  pairs  of  your 
Extra  Homers  and  one  dozen  fibre  nests. 
Send  by  American  express.  This  time  I 
would  like  to  have  different  colored  birds. 
The  birds  and  supplies  you  sent  me  in  Janu- 
ary came  in  good  shape.  I  was  well  pleased 
with  same.  Am  thinking  some  of  putting  in 
50  or  100  pairs  more  this  summer  if  I  can 
arrange  for  another  house. — H.  B.,  Indiana. 

BEST  EVER  SEEN  IN  OKLAHOMA. 

Enclosed  please  find  money  order  for  which 
send  me  your  best  Extra  Homers  as  specified. 
Send  all  blue-speckled  birds,  as  shown  on 
right  of  special  offer  sheet.  Your  last  ship- 
ment of  birds  are  fine  ones  and  every  one  that 
has  seen  them  say  they  are  the  finest  they  ever 
saw.  Trusting  these  will  be  the  same  or 
better  and  that  I  may  receive  them  at  your 
earliest  convenience. — W.  H.,  Oklahoma. 

BUYING  MORE  AFTER  ONE  YEAR'S 
EXPERIENCE.  A  little  over  a  year  ago,  I 
bought  24  pairs  of  your  pigeons.  Now  I  wish 
to  buy  300  pairs  of  your  Extra  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers  and  am  fixing  a  house  for  them 
and  will  be  in  s-  ^pe  to  receive  75  pairs  a 
month,  say  March  1,  April  1,  May  1  and  June 
1.  I  see  that  $1.70  per  pair  is  your  price  in 
lots  of  300  pairs  and  upwards.  I  should 
want  the  best  birds  as  I  believe  they  are  the 
cheapest.  Now  if  this  arrangement  is  all 
right,  you  can  let  me  know  and  I  will  send 
you  $127.50  for  the  first  75  pairs.  I  want 
your  best  birds. — E.  P.,  Ohio. 


Is  there  anybody  in  your  town  who  has  failed  at  squab  raising?  Some  play  at  pigeons 
as  they  would  with  a  new  toy,  then  give  them  up.  If  they  bought  of  us  the  trouble  is  with 
them  and  not  with  the  pigeons. 

184 


APPENDIX  D 

(Copyright,   1908,  by  Elmer  C.  Rice) 


Squab  market  prospects  for  1908  and  1909  are  excellent,  as  encouraging  as  they  ever  have 
been  —  always  a  hungry  demand. 

To  keep  the  subject  up  to  date  we  give  on  the  following  pages  a  fresh  lot  of  facts  bearing 
on  the  industry. 

We  have  pictures  mostly  contributed  by  customers  to  whom  we  have  sold  breeding  stock. 

During  the  past  ten  years  the  demand  for  squabs  has  more  than  kept  pace  with  the  supply 
and  this  is  true  today  (January,  1908)  although  the  supply  has  been  systerr>ized  by  us  and 
enormously  increased,  for  in  this  period  we  have  sold  over  half  a  million  Homers,  and  we 
estimate  that  now  there  are  breeding  on  the  Western  Continent,  from  these  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers,  at  least  two  million  pairs  of  Homers.  The  squabs  from  these  Homers  bred  from  stock 
originally  sold  by  us  are  in  every  market  on  this  continent  where  poultry  is  sold. 

These  figures  show  what  we  have  done  for  the  squab  industry,  and  they  are  conservative.  In 
fact,  before  we  began  shipping  breeding  stock,  the  squab  business  was  of  no  volume.  Our 
methods  and  our  birds  have  created  this  new  vast  industry.  Our  efforts,  of  course,  would  have 
been  useless  without  the  co-operation  of  a  large  and  enthusiastic  body  of  customers,  whose 
Jbyalty  is  our  pride  and  satisfaction. 

Let  the  good  work  go  on.  More  people  are  going  to  eat  squabs.  Squabs  for  dinner  are  now  a 
settled  habit  with  hundreds  of  thousands  of  families.  Our  advertising  constantly  in  the  best 
periodicals  suggests  every  week  to  many  new  people  that  squabs  are  a  new  delicacy  for  their 
tables,  and  thus  the  demand  grows. 

We  print  on  left-hand  pages  immediately  following  letters  received  in  December,  1907,  from 
three  representative  New  York  squab  buyers,  Messrs.  Silz,  McLaughlin  and  Heineman.  We 
have  selected  these  to  show  the  present  eager  market  for  squabs  bred  from  our  birds.  They 
were  written  by  these  dealers  when  prices  for  everything  were  temporarily  set  back  by  the 
short-term  panic.  Prices  for  squabs  during  1908  and  1909  will  be  as  high  or  higher  than  in  any 
previous  year. 

We  have  selected  these  New  York  marketmen  for  reference  because  they  have  been  largely 
instrumental  in  working  with  us  to  standardize  and  develop  the  national  squab  market.  Mr. 
McLaughlin's  system  of  grading  by  weight  per  dozen  is  now  in  common  use  not  only  in  his  own 
city  but  all  over  the  United  States.  Refuse  to  ship  your  squabs  to  anybody  who  offers  you  a 
small  price  based  on  count.  Grade  your  squabs  by  weight  and  get  what  you  are  entitled  to  for 
the  big  squabs  bred  from  our  birds.  Weigh  them  yourself  and  you  will  know  just  what  you  will 
get  from  the  dealer. 

You  will  see  in  Mr.  Silz's  letter  that  he  is  pleased  to  get  squabs  from  our  birds  because  they  are 
so  much  better.  Mr.  McLaughlin  advises  our  breeders,  and  to  keep  free  from  other  kinds. 
Messrs.  Heineman  advise  the  use  of  nothing  but  our  best  breed  of  birds.  This  is  expert  testi- 
mony by  practical  business  men  who  control  the  squab  trade  in  the  largest  city  in  America. 

Knapp  &  Van  Nostrand,  208  to  243  Washington  street,  New  York  City,  write  us  under  date  of 
December  4,  1907,  stating  that  they  are  paying  the  following  prices  for  squabs.  (This  firm 
divides  with  the  three  others  above  msntioned  the  greater  part  of  the  enormous  New  York 
squab  trade).  "  Ten  to  twelve  pounds  to  the  dozen,  $4.50;  nine  pounds  to  the  dozen  $400; 
eight  pounds,  $3.25."  Their  letter  continues:  "  We  receive  and  sell  hundreds  of  dozens  every 
week.  Squabs  from  shippers  mentioning  your  company  compare  favorably  with  general  receipts 
Sales  have  increased  in  New  York." 

When  customers  of  curs  wish  to  begin  shipping  squabs  to  the  four  firms  above  mentioned 
or  any  other  New  York  squab  dealer,  we  give  letters  of  introduction  which  will  smooth  the  way 
for  them. 

185 


1907 MORE   STORIES  OF   SUCCESS 1908 

No  matter  in  what  part  of  the  United  States  or  Canada  you  live,  we  will  put  you  in  touch 
with  your  nearest  best  squab  buyer,  provided  of  course  you  have  not  a  private  trade  of  your 
own,  which  always  pays  best.  In  Pittsburg,  for  example,  there  is  a  concern  which  has  a  very 
large  trade  and  is  constantly  after  good  squabs.  They  write  us:  "For  eight-pound  squabs  we 
are  paying  $3.00  a  dozen,  nine-pound  $4.25  a  dozen.  When  communicating  with  your  custom- 
ers, kindly  let  them  quote  us  price  on  the  different  sizes.  We  would  like  to  get  in  touch  with 
some  shippers  who  can  supply  us  the  year  around  with  what  squabs  we  want.  We  can  use 
100  pounds  to  150  pounds  per  week.  Kindly  put  us  in  touch  with  some  good  shippers  " 

A  correspondent  living  in  West  36th  street,  New  York,  writes  us  under  date  of  October  12 
1907,  after  personal  investigation  of  the  New  York  City  markets:  "I  am  studying  up  the  squab 
business,  with  the  intention  of  going  at  it  up  at  my  home  in  Pennsylvania,  when  I  can  con- 
veniently see  my  way  to  it.  Your  statement  about  the  market  for  the  product  in  1902-1903 
still  seems  to  hold  good  here  in  New  York.  I  was  down  at  Washington  Market  not  long  ago  to 
inquire  of  commission  men  how  the  call  for  squabs  runs.  They  all  said  that  the  supply  hardly 
equals  the  demand.  Many  of  them  were  selling  or  offering  for  sale  little  bony,  discolored 
carcasses  that  would  hardly  tempt  a  starved  cat.  So  when  I  am  readv  I  shall  talk  business 
with  you." 

In  the  first  part  of  our  Manual  we  quote  prices  in  a  great  many  cities  in  force  in  1903  or 
thereabouts.  We  have  not  the  space  to  follow  the  quotations  in  these  cities  year  by  year 
What  is  true  of  New  York  is  true  of  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Philadelphia,  New  Orleans,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Seattle,  Portland,  all  the  large  places.  The  demand  everywhere  continues  eager  at  high 
pnces  as  vou  can  readilv  find  out  for  yourself  if  you  live  near  a  city.  In  your  nearest  city  vou 
will  find  Plymouth  Rock  squabs  going  in  regularly  to  the  dealers  there  and  dominating  "the 
market. 

We  quote  as  follows  the  prices  prevailing  in  New  York  City  from  the  summer  of  1907  to  the 
end  of  the  year.  These  quotations  are  not  retail  prices,  remember,  but  are  what  a  dealer  paid 
breeders  for  supnlvin<j  him  with  squabs.  The  first  quotation,  in  each  case,  is  for  squabs  weigh- 
ing ten  pounds  to  the  dozen.  The  second  figure  is  for  squabs  weighing  nine  pounds  to  the 
dozen.  The  third  figure  is  for  squabs  weighing  eight  pounds  to  the  dozen: 

July  1 $4.50  $4.00  $3.20 

July  22 4.40  3.75  3.15 

August         12 4.20  3.50  3.00 

September    2 4.25  3.50  2.75 

September  30 4.50  3.75  3.00 

October       14 4.75  3.85  3.25 

November     4 5.00  4.00  3.50 

November  18 4.75  4.00  3.50 

December     2 4 . 40  3 . 60  3  25 

December     9 4.20  3.40  3.25 

The  reader  of  all  the  quotations  we  print  must  be  impressed  that  the  chorus  for  the  big 
squabs  grows  each  year  larger  in  volume  and  more  insistent.  Dealers  want  the  big  ones  and  to 
get  them  they  offer  the  very  attractive  bait  of  substantially-increased  prices.  It  is  folly  for 
anybody  to  start  breeding  squabs  now  with  inferior  birds,  for  his  squabs  (weighing  six  or  seven 
pounds  to  the  dozen)  will  be  crowded  to  the  back  of  the  counter  in  every  market  and  the 
breeder  will  have  to  be  content  with  a  price  which  will  pay  for  the  grain,  perhaps,  but  little 
more.  This  is  not  unsupported  talk  by  us.  unfounded  sayso,  but,  in  the  words  of  our  ex-Presi- 
dent, is  a  condition  and  not  a  theory.  We  have  actually  supplied  the  breeding  stock  whose 
squabs  now  constitute  the  squab  markets  of  the  countrv  and  are  making  the  weights  and 
prices.  Before  we  introduced  the  Plymouth  Rock  Extra  Homers,  there  were  in  the  New  York 
or  Philadelphia,  or  any  markets,  no  squabs  weighing  over  eight  pounds  to  the  dozen.  No  such 
squabs  were  traded  in  because  no  such  squabs  existed,  in  commercial  quantity.  Now  they  are 
m  the  markets  every  day  by  thousands  of  dozens  weighing  from  eight  to  twelve  pounds  to  the 
dozen. 

The  letters  which  we  print  on  the  following  pages  are  selections  from  a  large  number  received 
by  us  in  1907.  These  show  a  great  many  facts  bearing  upon  all  sides  of  the  industry  and  we 
recommend  their  reading  for  the  news  they  contain.  Many  of  the  writers  note  ways  of  their 
own  showing  original  thinking  and  adaptation.  We  withhold  the  names  and  addresses  of  the 
writers  for  the  business  reasons  stated  so  many  times  by  us,  but  we  assure  new  friends  as  well  as 
old,  that  all  are  genuine,  every  one,  written  by  real  customers  not  connected  with  us  in  any 
way  excent  by  the  sale  of  our  birds  and  supplies  to  them.  The  original  letters  are  filed  at  our 
office  in  Boston,  where  we  will  show  them  to  anybody.  If  some  one  is  holding  back  an  order 
from  us  thinking  that  any  letter  here  is  "  made  up,"  and  cannot  come  in  person  to  Boston  to 
see  these  letters,  as  many  do,  we  will  pay  the  fee  of  his  representative  living  in  or  near  Boston 
for  examining  our  files  and  reporting.  Write  us  first,  and  we  will  convince  you  if  given  the 
opportunity. 

LETTERS  RECEIVED  FROM  CUSTOMERS  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK   SQUAB   COMPANY 

186 


1907 MORE    STORIES   OF    SUCCESS 1908 

READ  THIS  STORY  OF  SUCCESS  BY  A  MAN  80  YEARS  OLD.  HE  HAS  DONE  SOME 
ORIGINAL  AND  EFFECTIVE  THINKING.  NO  BUILDINGS  FOR  HIM.  HE  USES  AN  ATTIC 
ROpM  AND  GETS  THERE."  Being  old  (80  years) ,  failing  s^ht  drove  me  out  of  a  mechanical 
business  and  the  prospect  before  me  was  to  live  and  lean  on  my  children.  I  had  always  been 
a  lover  and  keeper  of  pigeons  from  boyhood  until  a  few  years  since  when  the  telephone,  etc. 
came,  and  I  killed  all  off.  My  daughter  saw  your  advertisement  in  a  magazine  and  sent  for 
your  booklet.  I  saw  at  a  glance  the  chance  offered.  I  knew  you  were  telling  only  what  was 
the  exact  truth  about  pigeons,  and  the  pictures  showed  them  to  be  the  best  kind  for  the  purpose. 
Had  I  been  20  years  younger,  I  would  have  gone  into  it  with  all  my  means,  so  as  it  was  I  made 
a  very  modest  beginning. 

In  February,  April  and  June  you  sent  me  three  small  lots,  40  in  all,  not  your  Extras.  I  put 
them  in  an  attic  where  I  had  birds  before  with  nest  boxes,  some  hung  up,  some  on  the  floor, 
any  way  to  keep  them  apart.  They  soon  began  to  work.  Six  pairs  had  eggs  in  a  week.  When 
squabs  began  to  come  six.  seven  or  eight  at  a  time,  a  butcher  took  them,  and  since  then  we 
have  given  him  over  three  dozen  in  one  week.  He  first  paid  at  rate  of  $3  per  dozen  and  has 
risen  twice  since  to  now,  $3.75,  and  has  not  been  pushed.  My  daughter  takes  them  in  and 
gets  the  cash  as  if  they  were  gold  or  wheat.  The  butcher  says  it  is  not  the  size  but  a  plump 
breast  that  tells,  so  they  go  large  and  small  many  times,  between  seven  and  eight  pounds  to 
the  dozen,  bled  and  dressed.  Of  course  my  stock  has  been  increased  by  some  getting  out  of 
nest,  or  saving  some  peculiar  color.  I  keep  those  with  odd  markings  and  know  them  personally. 

The  first  year  the  18  pairs  averaged  eight  pairs  each.  I  do  not  keep  them  to  be  a  month  old 
as  they  would  all  be  on  the  floor  then  and  butcher  looks  for  wool  on  head.  Seeing  none  he 
says:  "  How  long  has  this  been  flying?  "  So  I  send  them  at  24  or  25  days.  The  younger  they 
go,  the  faster  the  old  ones  breed,  as  well  as  saving  of  feed.  So  since  May,  1905,  when  I  began 
with  18  pairs,  I  have  sold  805  squabs  and  increased  stock  from  18  pairs  to  56  pairs,  and  no 
stint  of  feed.  I  sell  no  manure. 

You  are  right  on  feed  question.  Cabbage  is  good.  I  give  (when  I  have  it)  lettuce,  parsley 
and  even  marshmallow  weed  and  sunflower  seeds,  but  my  birds  avoid  wheat,  eating  very 
little.  They  know  me  personally,  come  in  from  outside  when  I  go  in  and  get  down  under  my 
feet. 

My  attic  where  I  breed  is  a  queer  shape,  with  two  places  for  them  to  get  outside,  and  feed 
boxes  on  floor  to  give  them  a  chance  to  hide  from  the  others  at  times.  The  other  20  pairs  are 
in  an  old  wagon -house  with  the  boxes  over  head  to  be  away  from  rats,  and  a  cat  there  most 
of  the  time.  I  suffer  some  from  the  makeshift  pens  I  have.  I  need  the  arrangement  you 
have,  though  I  have  a  third  place  for  the  young  untnated.  When  a  pair  in  that  place  gets 
young,  say  14  days  old,  I  move  pair  (box  and  all)  at  night  into  one  of  the  regular  units  and  that 
fetches  them. 

But  here  comes  what  few  and  those  only  that  know  me  will  believe.  In  the  course  of  this 
April  and  May  seven  pairs  have  had  three  eggs  each.  Three  pairs  hatched  al]  and  are  gone  to 
butcher.  Two  more  are  hatched  and  doing  well  and  of  the  two  to  come,  all  eggs  are  good. 
Some  have  had  one  smaller  than  other  two,  then  I  take  the  small  one  and  give  it  to  another 
which  has  younger  or  some  of  same  size.  I  am  raising  them  all.  The  books  say  pigeons 
often  have  only  one,  but  nothing  about  three.  Are  we  getting  a  new  breed?  I  have  none 
for  sale  alive  so  this  is  no  advertisement. 

For  squabs  I  have  received  in  money  just  double  what  I  spend  for  feed. — D.  G.  L.,  New  York. 

Note.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  sound  sense  and  experience  in  the  above  story  of  this  valued 
customer,  written  by  himself.  Eighty  years  old,  and  with  failing  sight!  Not  much;  he  is 
young  and  keen.  First,  he  had  confidence  that  he  was  being  told  the  truth  by  us  and  would 
get  good  birds,  for  he  had  known  pigeons  all  his  life.  That  is  half  the  battle.  He  sold  his 
squabs  when  they  were  plump,  even  if  only  three  weeks  old,  before  they  had  a  chance  to  walk 
around  and  train  off  fat.  He  treated  his  birds  so  that  they  loved  him. 

His  butcher  had  customers  which  evidently  did  not  weigh  the  squabs.  A  small  plump  squab 
is  good  but  a  big,  plump  squab  is  what  99  dealers  out  of  100  are  after,  because  they  get 
much  more  money  for  them.  The  educated  markets  once  supplied  with  the  big  ones  do  not 
fancy  the  smaller  ones.  Our  customer  if  he  had  started  with  our  Extras  would  not  have  been 
content  to  sell  to  the  butcher,  but  would  have  looked  up  the  butcher's  customers  and  received 
also  the  50  per  cent  profit  made  by  the  butcher. 

As  to  three  squabs  in  a  nest,  this  comes  to  pass,  but  we  never  knew  so  many  cases  in  a  flock 
of  this  size  at  the  same  time.  That  was  extraordinary. 

His  practice  of  changing  the  smaller  squab  in  a  nest  for  a  squab  of  size  equal  to  the  one  remain  • 
mg  is  common.  With  two  squabs  in  the  nest,  if  one  grows  larger  than  the  other,  this  means 
he  is  stronger  and  is  continually  stealing  the  share  of  the  parents'  food  belonging  to  the  little 
one.  Take  the  little  one  to  another  nest  where  there  is  a  squab  of  its  own  size,  bringing  back 
a  larger  squab  equal  in  size  to  the  one  in  the  first  nest. 

His  story  of  success  is  that  of  a  small  flock.  He  simply  makes  a  small  lot,  housed  in  a 
crude  way,  pay  in  profits  a  share  of  the  running  expenses  of  the  home. 

LETTERS  RECEIVED  FROM  CUSTOMERS  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB    COMPANY 

187 


Sir.  Elmer  C.  Rice, 

Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co., 

Boston,  Mass. 
Dear  Slr:- 

In  reply   to    your  letter  of  Nov.    27th,    the  present 
prices  on  Squabs  you  will   find  on  the  enclosed  card. 

There  will  not   be  any  let-up   in  the  demand  fo»  Squabs 
if   the  prices  remain  normal.     The   season  for  all  game  closes 
with  the  end  of    tills  month  so   there  will  naturally  be  a  better 
demand  for  squabs  after   that   time   to   take  the  place  of  game. 
We  use  from  175  dozen  to   2oo   dozen  squabs   each  day. 

Your  Squaba  are  very  much  better    than  others,  and 
I   think  you  have  accomplished  wonders   for  the  Squab  industry, 
and  every  Squab  raiser   should  feel  gratetul  for  your  efforta 
In  this  line,  and  you  could  very  appropriately  be   termed 
•  KTNg  •  of  the  Squab_bu8iness. 

Wishing  to   assist  you  in  your  continued  efforts  to 
put  the  Squab  business  ahead,  we  are, 

Very  truly  yours, 

A.   SILZ,  Inc., 
By.. 


188 


1907 


MORE    STORIES  OF   SUCCESS 


1908 


THIS  IS  THE  BREEDER  OF  WHOM  WE  WRITE  AT  THE  BOTTOM  OF  PAGE  56  OF  OUR 
MANUAL.  HE  FED  WRONGLY  AT  THE  START  AND  BLAMED  US  FOR  NO  RESULTS, 
BUT  HE  IS  A  GOOD  FRIEND  NOW  AND  HAS  SEEN  A  GREAT  LIGHT.  I  received  the  new 
Manual  O.K.  Accept  my  thanks.  I  think  that  it  is  up-to-date  in  every  respect  and  in  no  way 
far-fetched,  nothing  but  sensible,  hard,  experienced  facts.  1  notice  that  you  speak  of  a  California 
breeder  using  nothing  but  wheat  and  a  handful  of  hemp  with  no  return  for  six  months.  I 
presume  it  was  me  you  refer  to.  Well,  I  deserve  d  it,  for  "a  guilty  conscience  needs  no  accuser." 
I  did  not  feed  them  enough  to  keep  them  alive. 

Now,  Mr.  Rice,  money  will  not  buy  the  birds.  They  are  beauties,  so  plump,  bright  and 
active;  working  all  the  time.  Even  now  (September  11,  1907)  they  are  in  full  force  nest  build- 
ing. I  can  point  out  lot  of  pairs  which  are  now  on  their  eighth  lots  of  eggs.  I  would  like  to 
have  any  one  show  me  that  they  have  as  good  birds  as  I  have.  It  would  be  a  very  hard  matter 
to  convince  me  that  there  are  any  birds  as  good  as  the  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  of  Boston.  In 
short,  any  one  who  fails  with  those  birds  should  not  blame  the  birds  or  Mr.  Rice,  for  it  is  up  to 
them  to  handle  them  right.  Do  not  think,  Mr.  Rice,  that  I  am  "  fishing  "  for  something. 
Far  from  it.  I  am  only  speaking  as  my  true  conscience  dictates,  that  there  are  no  better  birds 
than  yours.  We  have  just  weighed  six  squabs  and  they  tipped  the  scales  at  five  pounds,  13 
ounces.  How  is  that  ?  Some  will  say  that  Homers  cannot  do  as  well  as  that  but  I  can  show 
the  goods.  The  only  trouble  is  the  best  I  can  get  is  $3  a  dozen  and  a  private  trade  at  that. 
Have  not  had  a  chance  to  save  over  one  dozen  for  breeders. 

As  regards  mo/e  birds.  I  certainly  want  more  of  your  birds  and  will  want  only  Extras,  as 
I  will  use  the  Extras  exclusively  for  raising  my  breeding  stock.  I  will  not  be  ready  until  spring 
for  them,  as  I  am  going  to  build  four  more  houses.  Then  I  promise  you  a  picture  of  my  house 
worthy  to  go  in  your  book.  All  I  ask  of  you  is  to  wait  until  I  have  completed  my  plans. 

Mr.  Rice,  I  have  some  Maltese  hen  pigeons  I  wish  to  dispose  of.  There  are  about  20.  Three' 
are  mated  pairs  and  the  rest  young  ones  ranging  from  two  months  to  seven  months.  If  you 
could  trade  me  your  Homers  for  them,  or  find  me  a  customer  I  should  thank  you.  I  have 
oniy  kept  them  for  fancy.  Now  I  will  close,  wishing  you  the  best  of  luck. — J.  B.  W.,  California. 

GOVERNMENT  OFFICIAL  IN  CALI- 
FORNIA WELL  PLEASED.  The  four  pairs 
of  Homers  shipped  to  me  on  October  2,  1907, 
arrived  to-day  in  apparently  first-class  con- 
dition. The  birds  appear  to  be  satisfactory 
in  every  respect.  I  thank  you  for  the  extra 
pair;  also  for  the  supplk-s  included.  After 
the  birds  get  to  work  I  shall  furnish  you  with 
a  further  report,  and  if  I  have  occasion  to 
order  again,  shall  not  forget  your  prompt 
and  liberal  treatment. — C.  W.  L.,  Register, 
United  States  Land  Office,  Department  of  the 
Interior,  California. 

BETTER  AT  $1.50  A  PAIR  THAN  WHAT 
HE  PAID  OTHERS  $2.50  A  PAIR.  SIX 
MORE  ORDERS  FOLLOW.  I  have  received 
your  Plymouth  Rock  pigeons  which  you  sent 
me  in.  perfect  order.  I  am  very  much 
pleased  with  them.  They  are  as  good  as  the 

ones  I  bought  of and for  $2.50 

per  pair. — P.  P.,  New  York. 

Note.  The  above  customer  has  sent  us 
in  1907  up  to  date  (November)  six  orders. 

ONE  HUNDRED  MILES  IN  FIVE  HOURS 
IN  A  STORM.  Please  send  me  one  of  your 
1907  catalogues.  The  birds  that  I  received 
in  April,  1 906,  are  doing  finely.  I  broke  them 
in  at  my  loft.  I  flew  one  of  them  100  miles, 
making  the  distance  in  five  hours,  in  rain  and 
storms.  I  will  ship  him  200  miles  in  a  few 
weeks  with  others  of  my  birds.  I  think  he 
will  do  fine  in  his  200-mile  race. — J.  M., 
Texas. 


SATISFIED  AND  BUYS  MORE.  Some 
time  ago  I  ordered  a  half-dozen  pairs  of  pig- 
eons from  you ;  at  the  same  time  I  ordered  six 

pairs  from  the .  I  wish  to  say  that  I 

have  now  received  all  the  birds  and  I  have 
concluded  that  yours  are  the  best.  As  soon 
as  I  get  a  little  more  ready  money  I  expect  to 
order  more  birds  of  you.  It  is  my  intention 
to  build  up  a  large  flock  just  as  soon  as  I  can. 
I  am  perfectly  satisfied  in  my  dealing  with  you. 
You  can  publish  any  part  of  the  above  letter 
if  you  want  to  except  the  name  of  the  other 
company. 

(Later).  Enclosed  find  check  for  $18  for 
three  pairs  of  your  Carneaux. — L.  T.  P.,  New 
York. 

FIVE  PAIRS  OUT  OF  SIX  IN  TWO  WEEKS 
AFTER  ARRIVAL  PROVES  FAST  MATINGS. 
Received  pigeons  two  weeks  ago.  I  think 
the  Extras  are  far  ahead  of  anything  T  have 
ever  seen.  I  have  had  mine  only  two  weeks 
and  five  pairs  have  already  gone  to  work. " 

Enclosed  please  find  stamps  for  37  cents 
for  which  send  me  by  mail  two  feet  of  alum- 
inum tubing. — T.  J.  S.,  Iowa. 

BREEDING    WELL    IN    TEXAS.     I    am 

doing  fine  with  my  pigeons  and  I  think  they 
are  the  best  kind.  I  started  with  14  in 
November  and  now  (June,  1907),  I  ha\f. 
about  66.  They  are  doing  fine.  I  have  sc 
many  that  I  will  have  to  order  some  wood- 
fibre  nestbowls.  Find  enclosed  $3.84  for 
which  send  me  four  dozen  wood-fibre  nest- 
bowls.— W.  P.  C.,  Texas. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK    SQUAB    COMPANY 

189 


TEL.  1288  FRANKLIN.  ««fer«ne««!-AII  Commercial  Agenda*. 

Wm.  R.  Mclaughlin 

COMMISSION    MERCHANT 
Poultry,    Egg's,    Game,     Squabs,    Calves    Etc. 

362   GREENWICH   STREET 

NEW  YORK     November  29,  1907 
Elmer  C.  Rice,  Esq., 

Treasurer  Plymouth  Rook  Squab  CO. , 
Boston.  Mass. 

Dear  Sir: 

Yours  of  the  27th  duly  rseeived.  I  am  pleased  to  hear  from  you  once 
more.  If  beginners  will  stick  to  your  breeders,  they  will  have  no  cause 
to  complain  as  to  size,  quantity  and  quality  of  squabs,  and  net  profits 
they  receive  from  same. 

The  demand  is  still  good  for  all  the  fancy  white  large  squabs  we 
can  get,  and  the  market' has  kept  at  uniform  price  for  a  long  time. 
In  fact,  since  the  new  season  started,  there  has  been  very  little  change 
In  price. 

The  small  and  mixed  lots  we  must  sell  to  out  of  town  trade  where 
everything  looking  like  a  squab  .joes  at  a  price;  while  the  city  trade 
want  the  larger  bird  and  are  willing  to  pay  for  them. 

Many  do  not  buy  enpugh  breeders  at  the  start  so  that  they  can  ship 
a  fair  sized  lot. 

I  can  use  daily  all  the  squabs  I  can  get  and  do  not  look  for 

prices  to  go  any  lower  during  the  winter, if  anything,  quite  some 

advance. 

I  think  if  any  two  need  any  praising  as  to  results  brought  about, 
and  profits  to  raisers,  it  is  you  and  myself,  as  I  was  the  first  to  In- 
troduce selling  by  weight  according  to  size,  and  was  laughed  at  for  trylilg, 


even  by  those  who 
output.  The  one  wh 
the  large  birds  fo 
and  made  the  extra 
I  would  adv 
keep  free  from  oth 


ould  not  now  admit  the  change  more  than  doubled  their 
does  not  like  the  change  is  the  speculator  who  got 
nothing,  and  the  small  birds  at  their  actual  valuet 

profit  when  selling  to  consumers. 

se  beginners  to  get  a  quantity  of  your  breeders; 
kinds.  They  will  have  no  cause  to  find  fault  with 


results,  and  will  always  have  a  market  and  demand  at  good  prices,  for 
they  can  raise  and  ship  at  any  time  of  the  year.   Send  me  the  names  of« 
your  customers  yourself  and  I  will  post  them  as  to  the  market,  and  send 
shipping  cards. 

Yours  truly, 


190 


1907 


MORE    STORIES   OF   SUCCESS 


1908 


STARTED  WITH  12  PAIRS  AND  BRED  THEM  TO  100  PAIRS.  ENLARGING  BUILDINGS 
STEADILY.  HAS  COMPARED  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  WITH  MANY  AND  FOUND  NONE 
SUPERIOR.  Your  letter  of  October  24,  1907,  received,  and  wish  to  thank  you  for  the  informa- 
tion furnished.  Two  years  ago  I  built  a  pigeon  house  ten  feet  by  20  feet,  nine  feet  high  with 
a  20-foot  fly,  dividing  the  house  and  fly  with  wire  screen,  making  two  compartments.  I 
purchased,  six  pairs  of  your  Homers  in  September  and  six  pairs  more  of  you  in  February.  To 
my  surprise,  three  of  these  pairs  started  building  their  nests  the  day  after  their  arrival,  and, 
in  fact,  the  12  pairs  went  into  the  business  of  raising  squabs  and  have  been  in  the  business 
ever  since.  I  now  have  100  pairs  of  the  finest  birds  in  the  country;  no  question  about  that,  as 
I  have  made  it  a  point  to  visit  quite  a  number  of  places  to  compare  birds,  and  I  am  satisfied 
with  my  birds,  if  they  are  with  theirs. 

Last  winter  I  built  another  house  of  the  same  dimensions  as  given  above,  building  at  the  lower 
end  of  the  original  fly.  I  took  the  wire  screen  from  the  end  of  the  fly,  and  with  it  divided  the 
fly  into  four  parts,  thus  saving  the  expense  of  building  a  fly  for  the  new  house,  and  the  birds  do 
just  as  well  with  a  ten-foot  as  with  a  20-foot  fly,  I  imagine.  The  total  cost  of  the  two  houses 
and  birds  was  about  $175. 

It  is  my  intention  to  sell  squabs  this  winter  (1907-1908)  while  prices  are  high,  keeping  the 
squabs  hatched  during  the  summer  months  for  breeders,  and  saving  the  squabs  from  my  best 
record  birds  as  breeders,  as  I  believe  I  will  get  even  better  results  from  them. 

In  my  opinion  the  squab  business  is  similar  to  other  business  enterprises,  requiring  patience 
and  hard  work  at  the  start,  and  if  a  man  is  a  "  quitter  "  he  will  make  no  more  money  in  the 
squab  business  than  in  any  other  line. 

I  started  in  the  business  for  the  reason  that  I  think  there  is  good  money  in  it.  My  "  feathered 
race  horses  "  look  good  to  me,  and  I  am  placing  my  money  so  that  they  come  under  the  wire 
winners. 

My  advice  to  one  starting  in  the  squab  business  is  to  secure  your  birds  and  your  Manual  and 
then  they  will  have  started  right.  Will  try  and  send  vou  a  picture  of  my  place  in  the  near 
uture.— F.  B.,  New  York. 


MAKES  HIS  HOBBY  PAY  WITH  TEN- 
POUND  SQUABS.  My  success  with  your 
birds  is  the  result  of  following  the  instructions 
in  your  Manual.  When  I  enter  my  squab- 
house,  I  always  whistle  so  as  not  to  frighten 
them  too  suddenly,  and  do  not  often  take 
strangers  into  the  loft.  Am  not  troubled  with 
lice.  I  disinfect  about  every  two  weeks. 

My  squabs  will  weigh  one  pound  apiece,  or 
from  10  to  12  pounds  to  the  dozen.  Of 
course,  I  do  not  ever  expect  to  be  an  extensive 
breeder,  as  I  have  not  the  room,  but  I  can 
accommodate  about  75  pairs,  and  make  a 
little  money  on  the  side,  and  enjoy  taking 
care  of  them.  Pigeon  keeping  was  always 
my  hobby  ever  since  I  was  ten  years  old.  I 
will  say  a  good  word  for  you  and  your  birds  at 
any  time. — D.  E.  A.,  Illinois. 

SMALL  ORDER  JUSTIFIES  A  LARGER 
ONE.  The  13  pairs  birds  that  you  shipped 
to  me  in  May  have  done  so  well  that  I  feel 
justified  in  ordering  four  dozen  more  of  your 
Extra  Homers  and  17  1-3  dozen  nestbowls  for 
which  I  enclose  check.  Your  birds  have 
been  here  nine  weeks  last  Saturday  and  I 
now  have  twenty-five  squabs,  one  having 
died.— F.  M.  J.,  New  York. 

INTEREST  SHOWN  IN  WELFARE  OF 
CUSTOMERS.  I  am  very  much  obliged  for 
the  information  given  me.  Once  again,  I 
cannot  too  highly  praise  you  for  your  prompt- 
ness and  interest  shown  in  the  welfare  of  your 
customers.  I  intend  ordering  some  more 
birds  from  you  and  would  like  to  know  the 
best  time  to  get  them. — M.  A.  C.,  New  York. 


BETTER  THAN  ANY  OTHER  ST.  LOUIS 
FLOCKS.  I  take  this  means  to  show  you 
that  I  appreciate  a  fair,  square  deal  such  as 
you  gave  me .  The  birds  are  as  you  advertised 
them  and  are  far  superior  in  some  respects 
to  what  you  advertised.  They  are  perfect 
pets  and  to  my  surprise  they  began  building 
nests  the  second  day  after  their  arrival. 

They  are  far  superior  to  any  flocks  which  I 
have  seen  in  St.  Louis  and  as  soon  as  I  can  find 
a  suitable  site,  will  erect  some  modern  build- 
ings according  to  your  Manual  and  stock  it 
with  your  birds.  It  will  take  several  months 
to  carry  out  my  plans. — W.  E.  P.,  Missouri. 

FOURTEEN-FOLD  INCREASE  IN  ONE 
YEAR  IN  NEBRASKA.  About  a  year  ago 
my  father,  who  lives  in  Crete,  Nebraska, 
purchased  ten  pairs  Extra  Plymouth  Rock 
pigeons  from  you.  They  have  increased  to 
over  twelve  dozen  pairs.  I  wish  to  get  the 
whole  flock  if  it  is  practical  to  ship  them  here, 
so  I  am  writing  to  you  for  advice  on  the 
subiect.  Can  you  furnish  shipping  crates? — 
C.  B.,  Vermont. 

HAS  KEPT  PIGEONS  BEFORE  AND 
KNOWS  A  GOOD  LOT.  The  pigeons  you 
shipped  me  arrived  all  right  on  Friday  morn- 
ing. I  notice  the  pairs  were  broken  up 
(from  the  separation,  I  suppose)  for  four  days, 
but  they  are  now  mating  again.  As  I  have 
kept  pigeons  before,  I  know  a  little  about 
them.  This  is  a  good  lot  of  pigeons  and  1 
thank  you  for  you'  promptness  in  shipping. — 
J.  R.  S.,  Maryland. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

191 


T*ltf.>u>ne  Call,  8S«1  Cortloitdt. 


COMMISSION  MERCHANTS 

Prtiits,  Pfodtice  and 

.Southern  "Ocgctablcs  a  Jf  pcctnlttj. 
273  <fe  275  WASHINGTON  STREET. 

^/fc<~&i+£      December  4,  /Jff  7 

Mr.  Blmer  C.  Rice, 

Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co., 
Boston,  Mass. 

Dear  Sir, 

We  wish  to  advise  you  on  prices  and  general  run  of 

squabs  which  a  goodly  number  of  breeders  of  your  fancy  Homer  pigeons  are 
shipping  us.  They  are  now  selling  from  between  $3.75  to  $4.50  per  dozen 
and,  in  all  probability  will  go  higher,  as  the  winter  advances.  There  ie 
a  good  demand  for  this  kind  of  birds  and  we  are  receiving  quite  a  deal 
of  them.  We  can  handle  anywhere  from  one  thousand  to  two  thousand  dozen 
a  week  as  bur  trade  constantly  inquires  for  them.  We  can  assure  .you  that 
the  breed  of  birds  we  get  from  our  shippers  are  very  fine  and  we  notice 
a  large  majority  of  these  same  shippers  mention  your  name. 

The  market  at  present  wants  cquabs  weighing  between 
9  and  11  Iba.  to  the  dozen,  and  we  would  advise  any  beginner  to  use 
nothing  but  your  best  breed  of  birds,  as  they  are  the  cheapest  in  the 
and  to  him, 

We  thank  you  for  your  kind  consideration  and 
past  favora.  We  are 

Very  truly  vours, 


192 


1907 


MORE    STORIES  OF   SUCCESS 


1908 


HOW  TO  PRESERVE,  COLLECT,  BAG  AND  SELL  THE  MANURE.  HOW  TO  USE 
TOBACCO  DUST  FOR  BOTH  PIGEONS  AND  POULTRY.  I  have  several  hundred  Homer 
pigeons  raised  entirely  from  stock  purchased  of  you  a  little  more  than  three  years  ago.  I  wish 
to  write  you  to  obtain  information  in  regard  to  selling  the  manure.  I  have  your  National 
Standard  Squab  Book  in  which  you  say  you  ship  to  the  tannery  and  obtain  60  cents  a  bushel. 
I  would  like  to  know  how  you  ship  it.  In  bags  or  barrels?  The  manure  has  always  been  used 
on  our  farm,  but  I  have  recently  been  deprived  of  my  husband  and  need  the  money  very  mu'-li, 
and  as  I  cannot  do  the  farming  that  he  has  done,  feel  obliged  to  sell  the  manure.  It  i:  free 
from  sand  or  sawdust.  The  most  foreign  substance  will  be  feathers  and  some  little  n^ini? 
material  that  they  have  scattered  around,  as  of  course  I  should  not  try  to  sell  the  old  nests 
that  would  be  nearly  all  nesting  material.  The  packing  will  have  to  lie  done  by  my  daughter 
and  myself.  I  have  been  told  that  it  is  bought  by  the  bushel,  but  it  would  be  a  hard  task  to 
measure  it  all,  as  I  am  considerably  over  60  years  of  age  and  very  lame.  I  find  the  freight 
will  be  21  cents  per  100  from  here  and  if  I  ship  by  weight  it  will  be  easier  to  measure  it  all 
by  the  bushel  and  they  would  have  to  take  the  freight  agent's  figures  instead  of  my  measure. 
I  have  quite  a  quantity.  Have  measured  up  one  bushel  and  found  the  weight  36  pounds, 
which  at  that  rate  would  take  only  three  bushels  to  weigh  a  little  more  than  100  pounds  and 
I  think  I  have  30  bushels  or  more. — Mrs.  M.  W..  Rhode  Island. 

Answer.  Feathers  and  common  nesting  material  in  the  manure  will  not  hurt  it  any  in  the 
estimation  of  the  tanners,  but  they  like  it  free  from  gravel  and  from  tobacco  stems.  The 
stems  will  discolor  the  hides  in  the  vats.  The  manure  varies  in  weight  according  to  the  amount 
of  moisture  in  it.  It  should  be  dried  and  then  bagged,  two  bushels  to  a  bag.  Buy  a  bushel 
measure  and  use  it.  Always  ship  in  bags  and  get  the  bags  back  empty.  They  are  worth  at 
least  five  cents  apiece  even  if  second  hand,  as  burlap  has  gone  up. 

Squab  raisers  who  use  tobacco  stems  for  nesting  material  cannot  sell  the  manure  to  tanneries. 

The  only  reason  for  using  tobacco  stems  is  to  ward  off  possible  lice.  The  same  result  may 
be  attained  when  straw  or  pine  needles  are  used  by  dusting  the  nests  now  and  then  with  tobacco 
dust.  We  sell  tobacco  dust  for  1 1  cents  a  pound.  It  is  equally  good  for  poultry  and  is  better 
than  many  fancy  lice  powders  selling  for  two  or  three,  times  that  price.  We  will  supply  25 
pounds  of  tobacco  powder  for  $2.  In  smaller  quantities  11  cents  a  pound.  The  use  of  this 
powder  will  not  injure  the  manure  for  tanneries. 


SOME  AGREEABLE  DISAPPOINTMENTS 
I  have  not  written  you  since  receipt  of 
birds,  consequently  will  send  you  a  word  at 
this  time.  My  first  agreeable  disappointment 
was  the  promptness  with  which  you  filled  my 
order.  I  live  500  miles  from  Boston.  I 
mailed  my  order  for  the  pigeons  at  eight 
o'clock  Wednesday  morning  and  at  five 
o'clock  Friday  evening  the  birds  were  waiting 
for  me  at  the  express  office,  just  about  53 
hours  from  the  time  I  mailed  my  order  until 
shipment  was  received.  I  had  not  expected 
to  receive  the  shipment  before  eight  days. 
The  birds  reached  me  in  first-class  condition — 
except  for  a  few  broken  tail  feathers  you  would 
have  thought  they  had  never  been  out  of  their 
native  loft.  They  lost  very  little  time  in 
getting  climated,  for  three  days  after  turning 
them  loose  they  were  nesting  and  soon  all 
were  hatching. 

In  comparison  with  other  Homers  I  have 
seen,  everything  is  in  favor  of  the  Plymouth 
Rock  breed.  They  are  cleaner,  better  pro- 
portioned and  less  shy  than  any  others  I  have 
seen.  The  squabs  from  these  birds  are 
everything  an  epicure  could  desire,  big,  fleshy 
-and  meat  the  whitest.  I  have  only  words  of 
commendation  for  the  stock  of  breeders  you 
handle.  I  can  only  wish  you  increased  sales 
of  your  excellent  money  makers.  You  are  at 
liberty  to  use  this  letter  to  interest  prospective 
customers  or  my  name  as  a  reference. — P.  F., 
Pennsylvania. 


TEN  PAIRS  OUT  OF  THIRTEEN  SPLEN- 
DID PAIRS  QUICKLY  AT  WORK.  Our 

cheese  maker  at  Aldenville,  Penn.,  ordered 
thirteen  pairs  of  Homers  from  you.  We  have 
encouraged  his  going  into  the  business  for  the 
reason  that  several  months  of  the  year  they 
are  not  busy  at  the  trade  and  could  just  as 
well  care  for  a  nice  flock  of  Homers. 

The  thirteen  pairs  received  from  you  a  fevi 
weeks  ago  are  splendid  specimens  and  ten  pairs 
are  at  work  at  present.  Not  being  contented, 
we  wanted  to  mix  the  blood  and  ordered  thir- 
teen pairs  from  an  imitation  squab  company. 
The  birds  came  yesterday  and  we  are  so  badly 
disappointed  in  them  that  we  would  like  yery 
much  to  return  them,  and  not  mix  with  our 
high-class  birds  received  from  you.  We  want- 
eventually  to  put  in  a  few  hundred  pairs  of 
the  party  and  will  want  from  twenty  to 
twenty-five  pairs  of  your  selected  birds  in  a 
few  weeks  time.  What  will  be  the  price  and 
can  you  give  us  a  fine  lot? — G.  S.,  Penn- 
sylvania. 

RAPID  BREEDING  IN  MICHIGAN.  I  pur- 
chased of  you  last  year  three  pairs  Extra 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and  at  this  writing  I 
have  had  them  just  one  year  and  seven  days 
and  instead  of  having  three  pairs  I  now  have 
24  pairs  that  can  fly  besides  a  dozen  squabs 
and  as  many  eggs.  What  do  you  think  about 
that?  As  I  am  in  need  of  nest  bowls,  please 
send  me  three  dozen  of  your  wood  fibre  nest 
bowls.— F.  E.  F.,  Michigan. 


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HIS  FRIEND  PURCHASED  12  PAIRS  OF  US  THREE  YEARS  AGO,  IS  NOW  SHIPPING 
SQUABS  FROM  300  PAIRS  AND  CLEARED  $1000  LAST  YEAR,  A  HIRED  MAN  DOING  THE 
WORK.  You  liave  been  recommended  to  me  by  a  friend  who  three  years  ago  purchased  12 
pairs  of  Homers  from  you  and  he  has  to-day  300  pairs  and  cleared  $1000  last  year  without  any 
labor  on  his  part.  He  simply  instructed  a  common  laborer. 

I  am  very  much,  interested  in  squab  raisins?.  I  am  now  attending  the  Iowa  State  College  of 
Agriculture  and  Mechanic  Arts.  I  live  in  Chicago  and  it  seems  to  me  that  would  be  a  good 
market.  The  first  six  months  I  intend  t9  raise  for  breeding  purposes,  and  then  if  I  succeed 
can  put  $200  or  $300  more  in  squab  raising.  Do  you  consider  this  plan  practical  as  I  have 
outlined  it? — G.  C.,  Iowa. 

Answer.  Remarkable  successes  are  being  made  by  customers  of  ours  who  started  with  12 
pairs  to  50  pairs  and  raised  up  their  own  birds.  It  is  not  wise,  however,  to  start  with  less  than 
12  pairs  of  birds,  unless  your  stock  of  patience  is  large  and  you  can  stand  waiting  for  two  or 
three  years  before  getting  returns  for  your  money.  The  trouble  with  beginners  who  have 
failed  is  that  they  have  tried  to  do  too  much  too  fast. 


RATS  AND  DIARRHOEA.  As  I  am  sure 
you  are  very  good  authority  on  the  pigeon 
question,  being  first  in  the  business  and 
revolutionizing  it,  I  hope  you  will  not  count  it 
amiss  or  intruding  for  me  to  appeal  to  you  (to 
use  court  language)  for  help  and  advice.  We 
have  lots  of  mice  in  our  pigeon  house.  What 
could  one  use  or  do  to  kill  or  frighten  them 
away  with  perfect  safety?  The  second 
troublesome  thing  is  what  I  call  the  shivers. 
The  pigeons  get  to  shaking  violently  and  seem 
to  lose  nearly  all  interest  in  everything. 

Your  birds  beat  anything  we  have  from  else- 
where at  most  every  "  turn,"  I  might  say. 
Indeed,  some  we  have  from  another  near  by 
who  gave  us  a  written  guarantee  "  for  health, 
good  workers,  heavy  squabs,  no  canker  and 
all  mated  birds,"  proved  in  nearly  every 
instance  a  sham,  for  they  were  not  even  mated 
except  a  few  pairs,  out  of  a  hundred  pairs,  and 
died  right  along,  and  they  were  not  mated  for 
over  a  year  after  they  came. 

Yours  are  tame  also,  they  will  eat  out  of  our 
hands.  I  think  those  broad-shouldered, 
thick-legged  blue  (with  black  broad  bars  over 
wings)  are  very  good  ones,  We  raised  some 
nice  breeders  from  them.  A  friend  of  ours  at 
Marlton,  New  Jersey,  spoke  of  getting  nice 
birds  of  you.  I  have  made  interesting  visits 
among  the  pigeon  keepers  in  New  Jersey. — 
Miss  M.  H.  B.,  Pennsylvania. 

Answer.  Rats  and  mice,  as  we  have  ex- 
plained so  many  times,  must  be  kept  out  by 
elevating  the  building.  If  it  is  impossible  to 
do  this,  take  one-inch  mesh  wire  netting  and 
bury  it  completely  in  the  dirt  floor,  six  inches 
deep.  At  the  sides  and  corners  bring  it  up 
above  the  sills  of  the  building  and  fasten  it 
with  staples.  This  will  give  you  a  wire-net- 
ting carpet  for  your  squab  house  (buried  six 
inches  under  the  ground),  and  through  this 
barrier  it  is  impossible  for  rats  or  mice  to  get. 
It  is  a  hard  task  to  exterminate  them  by 
poison  or  traps  after  they  have  once  got  in  to 
an  improperly-arranged  place,  and  if  you 
succeed  they  are  bound  to  come  again.  Do  it 
right  by  elevatinsr  your  building  or  burying 
wire  netting  and  that  will  end  the  bother. 

What  this  customer  calls  the  shivers  is 
diarrhoea  caused  by  feeding  too  much  wheat. 


TWO  PAIRS  ONLY.  I  am  going  into  the 
squab  industry  in  a  very  small  way  to  raise 
a  few  birds  for  our  own  use  and  find  a  pleasur- 
able occupation  as  an  aside.  I  shall  later 
want  a  few  pairs  of  your  birds.  I  bought 
some  time  ago  ten  pairs  of  another  company, 
but  so  far  am  sure  of  only  two  pairs  in  the  lot 
and  they  have  given  me  no  little  trouble.— 
Rev.  G.  B.  L.,  Vermont. 

NINE  AND  ONE-HALF  POUNDS  TO  THE 
DOZEN  AND  SOLD  FOR  FOUR  DOLLARS. 

Will  you  kindly  inform  me  to  whom  to  write 
about  disposing  of  pigeon  droppings.  I  made 
the  first  sale  of  squabs  last  week.  They 
weighed  nine  and  one-half  pounds  to  the 
dozen,  plucked,  bled,  empty  crops.  I  received 
four  dollars  for  them.  How  is  that  ? — P.  H.  S., 
Ohio. 

GENERAL  VERDICT.  Please  send  me 
addresses  of  New  York  squab  dealers.  I 
received  the  three  pairs  of  Extra  Plymouths; 
all  were  in  fine  condition.  My  friends  all  say 
they  never  saw  a  nicer  lot  of  Homers.  I  also 
thank  you  for  the  prompt  shipment.  I 
expect  to  send  for  another  Jot  in  about  a 
month. — J.  B.  S.,  Pennsylvania. 

SQUABS  TWO  WEEKS  OLD  WEIGHING 
THREE-QUARTERS  OF  A  POUND  IN 
COLORADO.  Birds  ordered  of  y9U  some 
days  ago  reached  me  in  pretty  fair  shape, 
with  the  exception  of  one  male  dead.  Thank 
you  for  your  splendid  treatment  to  my  order. 
Squabs  from  the  first  lot  at  two  weeks 
weighed  three-quarters  of  a  pound.  How  is 
that?  Will  return  baskets  in  a  few  days. — 
J.  F.  B.,  Colorado. 

BEST  BOOK  ON  BIRDS  HE  EVER  READ. 

I  received  your  Manual  and  find  it  just 
what  you  say.  It  is  the  best  book  on  birds  I 
ever  read.  I  have  a  large  plant  of  common 
pigeons  but  since  I  read  your  book  I  have 
built  one  of  the  prettiest  pigeon  houses  and 
flying  pens  in  which  to  put  the  pigeons  I  am 
ordering  of  you  to-day.  If  your  birds  are 
as  fine  as  you  say  I  will  get  rid  of  all  my 
common  pigeons.— -C.  E.  G.,  North  Carolina. 


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A  GOOD-LOOKING  ILLINOIS  PLANT. 

These  are  two  of  the  buildings  of  the  breeder  whose  letter  is  printed  on  this  page.    Notice  his  handsome 
Homers., 


rtiite 


LOST  MONEY  BY  NOT  KNOWING  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS.  NOW  HE  IS  ON  THE 
RIGHT  TRACK.  HE  IS  A  TRAVELING  SALESMAN  AND  HIS  DAUGHTER  DOES  MOST 
OF  THE  WORK  ON  THIS  BIG  PLANT.  SQUABS  WEIGH  11  POUNDS  TO  THE  DOZEN. 

I  have  just  completed  my  new  squab  unit  according  to  your  plans.     Please  find  enclosed 
Adams  Express  money  order  for  birds  to  fill  same. 

Other  parties  have  been  working  on  me  for  this  order  and  I  told  them  I  would  buy  nothing 
but  Extra  Plymouth  Rocks.  (A  burnt  child  dreads  the  fire.)  I  lost  enough  by  experimenting 
with  cheap  birds  when  I  began.  Since  I  began  buying  of  you  I  have  had  no  trouble.  The  last 
three  shipments  I  received  from  you  cannot  be  beat  for  size,  beauty  and  breeding  qualities. 
About  one-third  of  all  the  squabs  I  have  sold  in  the  past  12  months  have  averaged  a  little  over 

II  pounds  to  the  dozen.     We  have  quite  a  lot  of  squabs  that  weighed  a  full  sixteen  ounces  each, 
Now,  Mr.  Rice,  as  long  as  you  continue  to  ship  me  in  the  future  as  fine  stock  as  you  have  in 

the  past,  I  am  with  you  and  the  Plymouth  Rock  Co.,  and  "  the  other  fellow  "  might  just  as 


have  not  lost  a  single  old  bird  by  death  or  disease  in  14  months.  We  had  three  or  four 
bs  picked  badly.  I  found  by  taking  the  squabs  away  at  three  weeks  of  age  and  placing 
a  small  feeding  pen  and  feeding  hempseed  for  a  week  that  they  fatten  awfully  fast. 


ell  save  his  postage  stamps  and  breath 

I 

squ 
the 
What  is  your  idea  about  that  ? 

I  hope  you  will  excuse  this  long  letter.  Every  time  I  think  about  my  experience  at  the  start 
with  all  kinds  of  mixed  up  birds,  I  have  "  brain  storms  "  and  you  can  rest  assured  my  talk 
over  the  country  will  be  for  nothing  but  Plymouth  Rock  birds.  As  you  know  I  am  a  traveling 
man  and  ought  to  be  a  good  talker.  Consequently  in  order  to  repay  you  for  favors  in  the 
past  I  often  tell  my  experiences  and  how  I  lost  money  by  not  knowing  Elmer  Rice. 

My  oldest  daughter  does  all  our  feeding  and  taking  care  of  our  birds  and  she  is  getting  to 
be  an  expert  pigeon  keeper  and  delights  in  the  pastime.  We  are  figuring  on  increasing  our 
flocks  just  as  fast  as  we  can  until  we  get  2000  pairs.  —  S.  S.  H.,  Illinois. 


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POOR  WHEAT  SET  HIM  BACK.  HE  SELLS  ALL  HE  RAISES,  THE  SQUABS  BEING 
ENGAGED  BY  CUSTOMERS  EVEN  WHILE  THEY  ARE  ON  THE  NEST.  I  write  to  you  for 
information  concerning  my  flock  of  birds.  I  got  my  stock  from  you  in  1904,  and  have  been 
building  up  my  flock.  I  got  along  finely  with  them  until  the  latter  part  of  last  summer  when  I 
had  the  ba'd  luck  to  lose  about  20  or  25  of  the  old  birds,  which  broke  the  mated  pairs  up.  1 
would  like  to  increase  my  flock  to  the  full  capacity  of  the  house  built  from  your  unit  plan,  12 
by  16.  I  lay  the  loss  of  my  birds  to  some  poor  wheat  I  got  from  the  mill  here  that  must  have 
contained  a  good  deal  of  ergot  that  caused  the  females  to  die.  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Rice  at  the  time 
and  he  told  me  it  was  the  wheat,  at  least  I  have  had  no  more  trouble  since  I  commenced 
feeding  first  quality  grain.  The  squabs  weigh  12  to  14  pounds  a  dozen. 

I  herewith  send  an  order  for  1'2  females  to  balance  my  flock. 

My  original  purchase  of  you  in  1904  was  six  pairs  Extra  Plymouth  Rocks.  The  birds  arrived 
all  safe  and  in  good  condition  and  attracted  a  good  deal  of  attention  at  the  time,  for  some  of 
my  friends  put  on  a  broad  smile  and  have  been  expecting  me  to  bust  up  in  the  pigeon  business, 
but  have  been  at  it  now  for  over  two  years  and  the  order  accompanying  this  don't  look  much 
like  it  for  I  can  sell  all  the  squabs  I  can  raise.  They  are  even  engaged  before  they  are  fit  to 
take  off  the  nest.  I  get  50  cents  a  pair  just  killed,  and  if  I  dress  them  ready  for  the  oven  I  get 
75  cents  a  pair  in  the  local  market.  My  squabs  will  weigh  12  or  14  pounds  per  dozen,  and 
think  it  is  on  account  of  the  way  I  am  handling  and  feeding,  for  I  find  you  cannot  make  meat 
unless  you  feed  for  it. 

I  make  rny  own  grit  of  glass  and  it  has  been  very  satisfactory.  I  keep  a  couple  of.  bricks 
of  salt  cat  in  the  hous^,  also  a  codfish  occasionally,  and  they  are  doing  fine  now,  if  I  did  have 
some  bad  luck,  but  then  one  must  expect  drawbacks  in  any  kind  of  business.  —  A.  D.  D., 
Pennsylvania. 

Note.  Yo.i  will  never  have  sickness  of  any"kind  with  pigeons  if  you  provide  sound  grain 
and  clean  water.  If  your  grain  dealer  needs  watching,  and  has  not  your  interest?,  at  heart, 
examine  especially  the  wheat  and  corn,  tasting  both.  Some  grain  dealers  will  take  whole  corn 
which  has  germinated  and  make  cracked  corn  of  it.  You  can  always  tell  sour  grain  by  smell, 
taste  and  sight. 

It  is  quite  true,  as  this  customer  states,  that  feed  is  a  factor  in  the  weight  of  the  squabs.  Too 
much  wheat  keeps  the  old  birds  thin,  and  the  squabs  dark  and  thin.  Plenty  of  com  and 
peas  makes  the  squabs  fat. 

DISPOSING  OF  THE  SQUABS  IN  SOUTH  CAROLINA  WHEN  THEY  REACH  THE  AGE 
OF  23  DAYS.  RECEIVING  THREE  DOLLARS  A  DOZEN.  Our  order  for  17  pairs  of  Extra 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  was  placed  with  you  early  in  March  (1907)  and  the  birds  arrived  and 
were  placed  in  our  pen  about  the  20th.  They  were  all  in  good  shape,  having  stood  the  trans- 
portation well,  and  made  themselves  entirely  at  home  in  their  new  quarters.  The  day  follow- 
ing their  arrival  one  of  the  hens  laid,  and  from  that  time  until  now  (June  24)  the  flock,  as  a 
whole,  has  worked  splendidly,  and  results  have  far  exceeded  our  expectations.  At  the  present 
time  15  of  the  17  pairs  are  at  work,  having  either  eggs  or  young  squabs.  We  believe  that 
every  pair  would  have  been  at  work,  but  two  of  our  hens  escaped,  and  we  had  to  order  two 
more  to  replace  these,  and  this  accident  upset  our  flock  considerably. 

We  find  that  the  squabs  will  weigh  from  three-quarters  to  seven-eighths  of  a  pound  when  they 
are  three  weeks  and  two  or  three  days  old,  and  we  have  been  disposing  of  them  at  that  age. 
No  doubt,  this  fast  growing  is  due  to  the  equable  climate  which  we  have  in  South  Carolina. 
We  have  no  trouble  in  disposing  of  all  our  birds  at  that  age  at  25  cents  apiece. 

The  pigeons  do  not  require  much  of  our  time,  and  we  are  so  thoroughly  satisfied  with  our 
experience  that  we  are  considering  ordering  20  more  pairs  in  the  next  few  days.  —  Mrs.  C.  B., 
South  Carolina. 


SQUABS     WEIGHING     FOURTEEN     TO  RECEIVES  $4.20  A  DOZEN.     My  squabs 

s?xxmSs°s^Ews;  (SASFfSfiVMi  from/our  Hbif  weig*  Twhen  dresst  nine 

pairs  of  your  Extra  Homers.     Coven  pairs  met  Pounds  to  the  dozen  and  I  receive  at  the  rate 

with  accidents,  because  they  were  disturbed  of  $4.20  per  dozen  for  them.     I  have  fed  corn, 

several  times  on  account  of  the  plant  not  being  wheat,  peas  a/<d  millet,  buckwheat  and  bread. 

finished.     The    remaining    37    pairs    are    in  I  have  had  success  by  letting  the  squabs  on 

every  way  satisfactory.     We  have  at  present  the  florr  when  they  are  four  weeks  old,  that 

11  pairs  on  eggs  and  21  squabs.     On  account  is,  when  I  am  going  to  keep  them  for  breeders. 

of  not  having  too  much  room  for  the  birds  and  They  are  not  troubled  by  the  other  birds  and 

also  to  answer  the  many  demands  of  our  sick,  they  feed  themselves  sooner  and  the  old  birds 

we  are  killing  the  squabs  at  three  to  four  weeks  get  to  work  earlier.     I  have  had  no  sickness  or 

when  we  find  them  to  weigh  14  to  16  ounces,  lice.     Your  Manual  is  all  right  and  is  good  for 

and  at  which  time  the  mature  birds  are  again  the  starter  and  experienced.-  —  P.  E.  D.,  Dis- 

breeding.  —  S.  E.,  Illinois.  trict  of  Columbia. 

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SHOWING  CONSTRUCTION  IN  FLORIDA. 

This  building,  part  of  the  plant  of  a  Florida  customer,  is  built  of  only  one  thickness  of  lumber.  Only  the  roof 
is  shingled.  No  glass  windows  are  needed.  The  climate  of  the  South  is  exceptionally  good  for  squab  breeding. 

SUCCESSFUL  FLORIDA  SQUAB  FARMER  SAYS  THE  CLIMATE  OF  HIS  STATE  CANNOT 
BE  BEAT.  LIKES  THE  CARNEAUX.  The  Carneaux  arrived  here  yesterday.  I  am  much 
pleased  with  them.  They  show  more  white  than  the  birds  which  my  mother  sent  me  from 
France  and  are  larger.  The  more  I  see  of  the  Carneaux,  the  more  I  like  them,  and  wish  I  had 
nothing  but  them  in  my  squab  farm.  I  believe  there  is  going  to  be  a  tremendous  run  on  them 
as  breeders. 

My  Homers  are  mated  and  all  hard  at  work.  I  was  fool  enough  last  spring  of  1906  to  band 
the  mated  birds  of  that  season  with  colored  bands,  blue  for  cocks,  red  for  hens.  The  bands 
I  bought  from ,  who  guaranteed  that  they  would  last  a  lifetime.  I  note  at  least  one- 
third  have  broken  and  come  off.  I  snail  have  to  reband  300  pairs  over  again.  No  more  colored 
bands  for  me. 

Enclosed  find  check,  for  which  send  as  specified.  You  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  I  am  making 
a  success  of  the  squab  business,  and  now  have  700  mated  pairs.  As  soon  as  the  fall  commences 
and  the  price  of  eight  to  nine  pound  squabs  advances  from  its  present  low  standing  here,  I  am 
thinking  of  starting  to  ship  to  the  New  York  markets.  In  this  Southern  climate  our  birds 
work  better  and  faster,  produce  far  better  grade  of  squabs  in  the  winter  and  spring  months 
than  in  the  summer;  while  I  understand  with  you  the  summer  is  your  best  time.  I  believe 
our  Florida  climate  cannot  be  beat  for  squab  farming. 

If  I  like  and  find  out  that  the  Carneau  is  all  it  is  cracked  up  to  be,  50  per  cent  of  my  Homers 
will  be  replaced  gradually  by  them. — W.  B.  W.,  Florida. 


HEALTHY,  RUGGED  BIRDS.  Enclosed 
please  find  draft  for  $11.52  for  one  gross  of 
your  nappies.  The  birds  I  got  of  you  last 
spring  are  all  right.  I  have  not  lost  a  one 
with  sickness  or  any  other  cause. — A.  M.  J., 
Iowa. 


HIS   FATHER   IN   IOWA   LIKES   THEM. 

My  father  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  is  breeding 
your  birds  and  likes  them  very  much.  Please 
send  me  present  price  on  10  and  20  pairs 
Homers.  I  want  the  best  that  I  can  get 
regardless  of  cost. — C.  H.  D.,  Illinois. 


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KNOWS  BY  EXPERIENCE  THERE  IS 
MONEY  IN  PIGEONS.  MANUAL  "  AWFUL 
GOOD."  I  trust  you  will  paidqn  my  tardi- 
ness in  answering  your  letter  with  reference 
to  the  new  National  Standard  Squab  Book. 
Of  course  I  want  this  book.  I  do  not  send 
for  these  books  through  any  idle  curiosity. 
I  have  kept  pigeons  and  I  know  there  is  money 
in  them  if  they  are  properly  looked  after.  I 
want  to  get  back  in  the  pigeon  business  after 
the  first  of  the  year,  and  intend  to  do  so,  and 
I  want  to  start  with  the  best  birds  I  can  get. 
I  think  the  National  Standard  Squab  Book 
very  fine.  It  is  *'  awful  good."  More 
pleasure  and  satisfaction  than  I  can  express. 
Don't  know  of  any  improvements  you  could 
make,  unless  you  went  ahead  and  said  the 
same  thing  over  again.  I  enclose  20  cents  in 
stamps  for  your  new  1907-1908  Manual. 
I  also  send  by  this  mail,  under  separate 
cover,  the  old  Manual. 

I  intended  to  purchase  some  of  your  birds 
when  I  sent  for  your  book,  but  conditions 
have  been  such  that  it  has  been  impossible. 
Can't  say  exactly  when,  but  will  buy  some  of 
your  birds  soon. 

The  main  reason  I  haven't  bought  some  of 
your  birds  is  because  I  haven't  had  any 
place  to  keep  them.  I  have  kept  pigeons  all 
my  life,  know  a  great  deal  about  their  habits, 
and  above  all,  I  am  very  fond  of  them.  How- 
ever, I  had  to  dispose  of  all  the  birds  I  had 
about  18  months  ago,  and  since  that  time 
I  haven't  had  the  room  to  keep  them.  I 
had  to  dispose  of  them  on  account  of  having 
to  leave  Atlanta.  My  lease  on  my  present 
home  runs  out  about  January  10,  1908,  at 
which  time  I  expect  to  buy  me  a  place  with 
large  premises,  where  I  can  keep  pigeons,  as 
I  made  a  good  deal  of  money  on  then  during 
my  school  days,  and  believe  I  can  do  so  now 
as  a  side  line  if  nothing  more. — M.  R.  L., 
Georgia. 

PLEASED  WITH  YOUR  BUSINESS 
METHODS  AND  BUYING  STEADILY.  I 
have  never  seen  a  more  likely  lot  of  pigeons, 

and  as  I  have  room  enough  for  another  10 
pairs,  I  enclose  P.  O.  order  and  I  hope  that 
before  the  next  batch  arrives  I  shall  be  ready 
for  fifty  more  pairs.  I  am  very  much 
pleased  with  the  manner  in  which  the  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Squab  Co.  does  business. — 
R.  W.  J.,  Virginia. 

MAKING  THEM  PAY  AS  HE  GOES  ALONG. 

I  now  have  seventy.  One  year  ago  last 
March  I  bought  six  pairs  from  you.  I  want 
a  better  start  before  I  sell  very  many,  but  I 
make  them  pay  for  their  feed.  Your  Manual 
is  "the  goods." — D.  E.,  Illinois. 

HIS  HOMERS  LOOK  LIKE  PYGMIES 
ALONGSIDE  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  EXTRAS. 
I  have  60  Homers,  but  they  look  like  pygmies 
alongside  of  your  birds. — F.  W.  D. 


OUR  HOMERS  MORE  THAN  WE  CLAIM 
FOR  THEM.  Your  Homers  are  more  than 
you  claim  for  them.  At  least  mine  are. 

They  are  models  of  beauty  and  are  very  large. 
I  was  skeptical  at  first,  but  I  am  thoroughly 
convinced  that  the  Homer  is  the  only  bird. 
Some  of  my  Homers  are  as  large  as  the  white 
Italian  birds  that  I  purchased  from  you. 
The  squabs  are  fine  large  fellows  and  I  am 
sure  that  a  nice  flock  of  Homers  beats  a  drove 
of  chickens  for  meat,  either  for  home  or 
market  use.  I  shall  take  pleasure  in  recom- 
mending your  birds  to  my  friends  and 
prospective  buyers.  Please  find  enclosed  60 
cents  for  another  Manual. — M.  A.,  Kansas. 


HOMER  HEN  SITTING  ON  EGGS. 

PIGEONS      CRAVE      GREEN     FOOD.     I 

bought  of  you  June  20,  1906,  24  pairs  of  your 
Homers.  I  have  lost  three  birds,  all  of  my 
raising,  and  now  have  100  pairs  (April,  1907). 
They  all  seem  to  crave  something  green  to 
eat.  What  would  you  advise?  Shall  I  feed 
them  any  green  foods?  I  am  giving  them 
kaffir  corn,  a  few  peas,  wheat  and  cracked 
com. — F.  M.  P.,  Georgia. 

Answer.  Yes,  throw  some  lettuce  or  any 
green  leaves  on  to  the  squab-house  floor 
occasionally,  say  twice  a  week,  and  let  them 
peck  away  at  them  to  suit  themselves-. 

WISHES  TO  GET  PIGEONS  OF  SUPERIOR 
QUALITY.  You  may  hear  from  a  gentleman, 
Mr  John  Fyle.  Send  him  some  of  yorr 
literature,  as  I  will  always  recommend  your 
stock  to  all  who  expect  to  go  into  the  squab 

.  — ._.~  -  *.~~»-.^w  business.  This  Mr.  Fyle  has  pigeons,  but  of 
I  ROCK  EXTRAS.  an  inferior  quality,  and  having  been  told 
ey  look  like  pygmies  about  mine,  wants  some  like  I  have. — R.  S., 
F.  W.  D.  Maryland. 


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1908 


LIGHTED  BY  ELECTRICITY  AND  HEATED  BY  STEAM. 

This  shows  part  of  the  up-to-date  plant  of  the  customer  in  New  York  State  whose  letter  is  printed  c 
page.    The  birds  hanging  in  front  of  the  brown  paper  are  squabs  just  killed  to  get  them  into  the  picture. 

PAYING  PLANT  IN  HANDSOME  BUILD- 
INGS. I  enclose  photograph  showing  my 
four  units  and  office  room.  The  building  is 
made  of  matched  lumber  so  that  they  are  ab- 
solutely air-tight  if  so  desired.  It  is  eauipped 
with  steam  heat,  electric  light,  hot  and 
cold  water  and  both  telephone  systems.  In 
the  office  room  the  grain  bins  are  zinc-lined 
and  moisture  proof.  The  top  is  upholstered 
so  that  when  the  lid  is  down  the  room  has  a 
very  pleasant  appearance. 

I  have  today  broken  ground  for  two  more 
units,  as  my  young  birds  are  coming  on  so 
fast  that  I  must  make  room  for  them.  Be- 
sides supplying  the  Elmira  market.  I  am  sav- 
ing my  most  promising  young  ones  in  order 
to  increase  my  flock. 

I  have  bought  from  you  exclusively  because 
I  liked  your  business  methods  and  believe  you 
are  fair  and  square.  Your  birds  are  good 
breeders  and  throw  heavy,  white-skinned 
squabs.  Business  is  good  and  as  fast  as  I 
make  money  I  enlarge  my  plant. — L.  S.  W.f 
New  York. 

SOME  AT  WORK  AFTER  LONG  JOUR- 
NEY. The  pigeons  (dozen  pairs)  arrived, 
August  12,  in  good  condition  with  the  excep- 
tion that  two  of  them  had  each  one  wing  hurt. 
I  have  waited  to  see  kow  badly  they  were 
hurt  before  writing,  but  think  they  will  pull 
through  all  right  for  one  of  them  has  taken  a 
mate  and  is  building  on  the  floor  of  the  pigeon 
house.  Five  pairs  of  them  are  building  and 
three  pairs  are  driving,  while  several  others 
are  paired  off. — B.  V.,  State  of  Washington. 


FINEST  BIRDS  PERFECTLY  MATED. 
CHANGED  HIS  HOUSES.  I  want  to  tell  you 
about  my  birds.  I  receiyed  them  the  Satur- 
day of  the  week  you  shipped  them,  turned 
them  out  on  Monday  and  they  went  right  to 
building.  I  have  got  three  setting  and  I  see 
the  others  are  starting  to  build.  They  went 
right  to  work  without  any  trouble.  They  go 
into  the  house  every  night  just  as  if  they  were 
raised  there.  They  are  the  finest  birds  I  ever 
saw.  I  have  just  finished  another  large 
pigeon  house  and  flying  pen  and  I  have  put 
my  white  ones  into  it.  Since  I  read  your 
Manual  I  have  changed  most  all  my  pigeon 
houses.  I  find  they  are  so  much  better  than 
mine.  If  any  one  is  going  into  the  pigeon 
business  I  would  advise  them  to  get  one  of 
your  books  on  birds.  I  am  sorry  I  did  not  get 
one  long  ago.  Just  as  soon  as  I  can  get  rid  of 
my  common  pigeons  I  want  to  replace  them 
with  yours.  I  have  got  to  build  another 
pigeon  house  and  it  will  be  about  October 
before  I  get  through  with  it,  and  I  shall  need 
nest  bowls  and  other  supplies. — C.  E.  G., 
North  Carolina. 

SMALL  ORDER  FOLLOWED  BY  LARGER. 

Enclosed  you  will  find  an  express  money 
order,  for  which  please  ship  me  the  following: 
12  pairs  Extra  Homers,  one  dozen  wood-fibre 
bowls,  25  pounds  hempseed,  100  pounds 
Canada  peas.  Please  ship  as  soon  as  possible. 
The  three  pairs  of  Extra  Homers  you  sent 
Tuesday  reached  here  Thursday  in  fine 
condition.  Thank  you  for  your  prompt 
shipment. — G.  J.  A.,  New  Jersey. 


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1907 MORE    STORIES   OF    SUCCESS 1908 

NEW  JERSEY  WOMAN  RECEIVES  $4.00  TO  $7.00  A  DOZEN  FOR  SQUABS  FROM 
PLYMOUTH  ROCK  EXTRAS.  From  the  six  pairs  of  birds  I  bought  from  you  in  1905 
and  the  extra  pair  you  kindly  gave  me  I  have  raised  215  birds.  My  squabs  average  11  pounds 
to  the  dozen,  sometimes  more.  The  birds  work  all  the  time.  They  breed  on  the  average  of 
nine  pairs  every  year. 

I  have  never  had  to  give  them  a  drop  of  medicine  since  I  have  had  them  as  they  keep  in 
perfect  health. 

I  have  lost  about  five  pairs  of  squabs  from  the  rats  getting  them,  but  never  any  from  sickness. 

I  have  built  my  coops  after  your  suggestions  in  your  book,  The  National  Standard  Squab 
Book,  and  am  not  troubled  any  more  from  rats.  I  have  never  seen  any  birds  to  compare  with 
mine  in  size.  I  have  seen  hundreds  of  pigeons  but  every  one  praises  mine  up  and  remarks  how* 
large,  full  and  broad  they  are  across  the  breast. 

So  far  I  have  been  selling  my  squabs  here  in  town.  They  bring  from  $4.00  to  $7.00  per 
dozen,  according  to  the  time  of  year.  This  price  I  get  for  them  right  out  of  the  nest  without 
killing  or  picking. 

I  feed  kaffir  com,  cracked  corn  and  wheat  every  morning,  and  every  Monday,  Wednesday 
and  Saturday  I  give  them  hemp  seed  and  Canada  peas  (on  trays)  as  much  as  they  will  eat. 
They  have  fresh  water  twice  a  day  in  summer  and  once  in  winter  and  once  every  week  I  scaM 
out  their  drinking  fountains  with  hot  water  to  keep  them  sweet  and  clean. 

I  have  one  box  of  grit  and  one  of  oyster  shells  in  the  coop  all  the  time  and  instead  of  putting 
it  on  the  yard  floor  I  put  it  in  boxes.  I  also  have  a  lump  of  rock  salt  and  a  salt-cat  in  each 
eoop  made  as  directed  in  your  Manual.  Once  a  week  I  clean  their  coops  and  take  the  white- 
wash pail  in  with  me  and  whitewash  the  boxes  out  and  sprinkle  slaked  lime  on  the  floors  of  the 
coops  and  the  yards. 

Your  book  has  been  a  great  help  to  me,  and  I  have  read  it  over  many  times  and  try  to  follow 
its  directions  in  every  particular. 

I  am  thoroughly  satisfied  with  my  bircli  and  feel  I  have  had  great  success  with  them  and 
would  not  have  any  other  breed  or  kind  were  they  to  be  given  to  me  free.  I  am  now  ordering 
30  pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  same  as  I  got  before  in  1905,  making  $75.00  worth,  at 
the  rate  of  $2.50  per  pair.  I  enclose  check  for  same,  $75.00. — Mrs.  S.  V.  P.,  New  Jersey. 

QUICK  START  BY  A  700-PAIR  FLOCK.  In  January  and  February,  1907,  a  customer  in  the 
Mississippi  valley  bought  700  pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  On  arrival  of  the  birds  he 
wrote:  "  They  are  as  fine  a  lot  of  thoroughbreds  as  I  ever  saw.  You  deserve  the  success  you 
enjoy  for  your  business  methods." 

The  last  consignment  left  us  February  4  and  reached  him  February  8.  Nineteen  days  later  he 
wrote  us:  "Our  birds  are  doing  very  well.  Have  400  pairs  of  eggs  and  squabs  in  the  house,  and 
probably  50  pairs  driving.  If  the  market  will  take  all  of  our  supply  next  month,  we  will  put  up 
another  house  at  once  and  buy  the  birds  of  you,  for  you  have  always  been  fair  and  just  with  me." 

On  March  5  he  wrote:  "  Our  squab  house  is  a  mass  of  squabs  and  eggs.  The  birds  were  at 
work  within  three  days  after  placing  them  in  their  rooms,  which  shows  that  the  wood  fibre  bowls 
and  surroundings  suited  them,  and  that  they  were  properly  mated.  The  special  lot  of  50  pairs  is 
the  most  remarkable  pen  we  have  ever  seen.  In  30  days  after  their  arrival,  there  were  40  pairs  on 
eggs.  We  feel  it  our  duty  to  compliment  you  on  your  fair,  honorable  and  just  dealings  with  us." 

SIX  DOLLARS  A  DOZEN  IN  CANADA  FOR  SQUABS  WEIGHING  NEARLY  ONE  POUND 
EACH.  About  two  years  ago  I  purchased  from  you  15  pairs  of  your  Extra  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers.  They  have  given  excellent  satisfaction  in  every  way.  All  the  squabs  raised  in  two 
summers  weighed  10-12  pounds  to  the  dozen  and  at  all  times  I  was  able  to  get  $6.00  per  dozen 
for  them,  indeed,  I  could  not  nearly  supply  the  demand.  I  had  offers  to  supply  one  of  the 
largest  hotels  in  Canada  if  I  had  enough  stock. 

I  think  I  am  as  enthusiastic  a  squab  raiser  as  can  be  found.  I  have  always  kept  fancy 
pigeons  for  pleasure,  but  never  until  I  raised  these  from  you  have  I  raised  squabs  to  sell. — A.  M., 
Canada. 

INCREASE  TWENTY-ONE  FOLD  IN  TWO  YEARS  IN  OKLAHOMA.  Would  you  please 
inform  me  where  to  ship  the  pigeon  manure  to  a  tannery?  We  have  200  pairs  and  we  have 
burned  15  bushels  this  year.  As  I  heard  that  you  shipped  the  manure,  I  thought  that  I  would 
write  to  you  for  my  information.  We  are  thinking  of  getting  some  more  pigeons  from  you. 
Two  years  ago  the  15th  of  February  we  got  11  pairs  from  your  Company  and  now  we  have  231 
pairs  from  those  11  pairs. — C.  O.  L.,  Oklahoma. 

BIG  FLOCK  IN  KANSAS  BRED  FROM  SMALL  BEGINNING.  Some  two  years  ago  I  pur- 
chased from  you  38  Homer  pigeons.  I  now  have  a  pen  of  500  of  the  nicest  birds  in  this  locality. 
I  am  expecting  to  build  larger  pens  and  divide  the  bunch,  and  I  wish  to  get  all  the  printed 
matter  I  can  on  the  subject  of  squab  breeding,  also  all  the  information  you  can  give  me  by 
letter  regarding  the  mating  of  birds,  even  if  I  have  to  pay  a  reasonable  fee.  Please  let  me  hear 
from  you  by  return  mail  and  oblige. — G.  G.,  Kansas. 

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1908 


ON  A  POLE  AT  TOP  OF  FLYING  PEN. 

INDIANA  WOMAN  WON  FIRST  PRIZE  AT  HER  FAIR.  QUICK  INCREASE  IN  SMALL 
FLOCK.  HOW  SHE  FEEDS  THEM  AND  CARES  FOR  THEM.  In  the  spring  of  1907  I  bought 
15  pairs  of  your  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  In  March  they  started  to  build  their  nests.  At 
present  (October)  I  have  82  young  squabs  with  eight  pairs  on  eggs.  When  the  squabs  are  four 
weeks  old  they  weigh  14  to  16  ounces  apiece.  They  are  very  rich  eating.  One  pair  of  birds 
raised  me  from  six  to  seven  pairs  of  young  squabs  (in  less  than  eight  months).  When  the 
squabs  are  two  weeks  old  I  clean  their  nestbowls  out  twice  a  week.  Twice  a  week  I  sprinkle 
slaked  lime  around.  I  use  tobacco  stems.  Also  every  day  I  give  my  coop  a  good  cleaning. 
I  have  no  kind  of  lie*.  I  sprinkle  a  little  slaked  lime  on  the  floor.  I  have  a  good  many 
visitors.  They  say,  how  can  you  keep  it  so  clean?  Mr.  Kline,  Mr.  Martin  and  several  others 
were  here  to  look  at  my  birds.  They  thought  they  were  fine.  Some  of  my  young  birds  are 
larger  than  some  of  the  old  birds.  Some  of  the  young  birds  have  raised  some  young  squabs 
for  the  second  time,  of  which  the  first  eggs  were  no  good.  I  feed  my  birds  in  the  morning.  I 
give  cracked  corn,  wheat,  kaffir  corn,  buckwheat  and  barley,  all  mixed  together  and  feed 
fresh  water,  plenty  of  it.  Also  their  morning  bath.  This  is  their  morning  feed.  At  noon 
they  get  lettuce  or  cabbage  leaves  or  Swiss  chard.  They  are  very  fond  of  dry  bread  or  cake. 
In  the  evening  I  feed  the  same  as  the  morning  feed  except  I  scald  a  little  oats;  when  cold,  I  mix 
it  with  the  other  feed.  I  put  a  teaspoonful  of  carbolic  acid  in  their  drinking  water  once  a 
month.  I  am  feeding  sunflower  seed  once  a  week.  When  my  young  birds  are  six  weeks  old 
I  pull  their  tail  feathers  out.  I  find  out  they  do  better.  It  seems  to  help  them  to  shed  their 
feathers  quicker.  I  band  my  birds  when  four  weeks  old  and  place  them  in  another  coop.  My 
coop  is  16  feet  long,  12  feet  high,  10  feet  wide,  with  a  double  floor  with  tar  paper  between,  also 
it  is  lined  with  tar  paper  and  has  three  large  windows  in  it.  I  have  132  nest  boxes.  They 
are  12  inches  square.  I  build  them  like  you  have  them  in  your  squab  book.  I  would  like  to 
send  you  a  picture  of  the  squab  house,  but  I  planted  lima  beans  and  spun  them  up  the  wire. 
I  will  send  you  a  picture  later  on.  I  got  first  prize  at  the  fair.  I  have  seen  several  kinds  of 
pigeons  but  they  don't  compare  with  mine  in  size  and  weight. 

We  eat  squabs  about  every  Sunday.  I  make  pot  pie,  also  I  have  soup.  I  make  what  you 
might  call  noodle  soup.  They  are  the  best  stuffed  with  dressing  made  with  one  egg,  one  onion 
cut  fine,  little  parsley,  pinch  of  salt  and  pepper,  a  little  grated  nutmeg,  the  hearts  and  gizzards 
of  the  birds  and  bread  broken  in  small  pieces,  water  enough  to  moisten.  This  is  enough  for 
three  birds  to  dress. — Mrs.  S.  B.,  Indiana. 


MOVED    HIS    FLOCK,    BUYING    MORE. 

About  a  year  ago,  I  purchased  12  pairs  of 
Homer  pigeons  from  you.  At  that  time  I 
was  located  at  Lowder,  111.  About  February 
15  this  year  (1907)  I  moved  them  from 
Lowder  to  Waverly,  which  is  about  eight 
miles.  I  now  have  34  pairs.  Will  be  in  the 
market  for  more  birds  at  once.  Also  quote 
me  prices  on  supplies. — G.  C.  H.,  Illinois. 

ONE-POUND  SQUABS.  NEVER  LESS 
THAN  $3  AND  AS  HIGH  AS  $4.50  A  DOZEN 
OBTAINED  IN  SOUTH  DAKOTA.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1905,  I  bought  some  Homer  pigeons 
from  you.  Most  all  squabs  that  I  have 
raised  from  your  Extra  Homers  weigh  one 
pound  at  five  weeks  old  and  I  have  got  as  high 
as  $4.50  per  dozen  for  them,  never  less  than 
$3  per  dozen.  You  may  vise  this  information 
as  it  is  correct. — J.  H.  K.,  South  Dakota. 


NO  AILING  PIGEONS.  Well,  it  has  been 
some  time  since  I  received  the  13  pairs 
pigeons  from  you  and  I  will  say  I  am  quite 
well  satisfied  with  them.  They  are  all  work- 
ing but  two  pair  and  I  have  quite  a  bunch  of 
good  healthy  young  ones  in  my  rearing  pen 
and  think  I  would  have  had  more  if  I  had 
given  them  more  time  and  care,  but  I  have 
too  much  other  work. 

I  keep  the  house  clean  and  have  it  white- 
washed, and  don't  believe  I  have  an  ailing 
pigeon  in  the  loft.  I  think  I  have  some  lice 
but  they  are  not  bad.  I  spray  my  lofts  once 
or  twice  a  week,  being  careful  to  choose  a 
bright,  warm  day. — C.  R.,  Illinois. 

VERY  FINE  FLOCK.  I  purchased  some 
of  your  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  a  few  years 
ago.  I  have  a  very  fine  flock  of  birds  now. — 
J.  M.  W.,  Pennsylvania. 


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FIRST  PRIZE  ON  ONE  PAIR,  FIRST  PRIZE  ON  COOP  OF  FOUR  PAIRS,  COMPETITION 
LIVELY  AMpNG  SEVERAL  HUNDRED  BIRDS.  I  promised  to  write  you  about  the  birds 
when  the  Fair  was  over.  I  will  do  so  now.  (September,  1907.)  I  took  first  money  on  one 
pair,  the  speckled  wing  birds,  and  first  prize  ribbon  on  coop  of  four  pairs.  Three  of  the  pairs 
I  secured  from  you  and  one  pair  from  my  pen.  The  judge  said  that  the  hen  bird  was  fine,  but 
cock  not  so  good.  Of  course  I  did  not  have  time  to  trim  them  or  fix  them  up  for  the  occasion. 
I  had  to  go  up  against  several  pigeon  fanciers  but  came  out  with  flying  colors  all  the  same.  We 
had  several  hundred  birds  of  different  kinds  at  the  Fair.  I  informed  several  where  those  birds 
came  from  and  how  long  I  had  them.  Hoping  this  will  be  as  satisfactory  to  you  as  it  is  to  me.  — 
A.  C.  M.,  Maryland. 

TOOK  ONE  PAIR  TO  EXHIBITION,  WON  FIRST  PRIZE,  WAS  OFFERED  FIVE  DOLLARS 
FOR  THEM,  TURNED  DOWN  OFFER.  It  has  been  a  long  time  since  you  have  heard  from 
me.  In  the  first  place,  I  must  let  you  know  that  my  birds  are  getting  along  very  nicely.  1 
am  very  well  pleased.  I  have  15  pairs  of  old  birds  and  75  young  birds.  I  took  one  pair  to  the 
County  Fair.  They  were  red  checkers.  I  received  first  prize.  I  was  offered  $5  for  the  pair 
of  birds.  I  told  that  man  that  I  would  not  sell  my  birds  and  that  if  he  wanted  any  birds  I 
would  give  him  your  address  so  he  could  buy  some.  —  Mrs.  B.  A.,  Indiana. 

BEST  PAIR  OF  HOMERS  IN  THIS  ALABAMA  COUNTY  EXHIBITION.     ORDERS  MORE 
IRDS.     Your  favor  of  October  19,  1907,  was  duly  received.     In  answer  to  your  query  abo 
r  winning  the  prize  on  our  Homers  at  the  County  Fair,  we  will  state  your  information 


BIRDS.     Your  favor  of  October  19,  1907,  was  duly  received.     In  answer  to  your  query  about 
our  winning  the  prize  on  our  Homers  at  the  County  Fair,  we  will  state  your  informatio 
correct.     We  won  the  prize  for  the  best  pair  of  Homers  with  a  pair  of  blacks  we  got  from  you. 


We  expect  to  make  a  better  display  at  the  next  Annual  Fair  and  if  we  see  that  we  have  a 
lot  of  prize  winners  we  will  probably  enter  them  at  the  State  Fair  at  Birmingham.  We  hope 
you  will  assist  us  in  our  efforts  by  sending  us  extra  good  birds  in  our  next  order.  —  C.  O.,  Alabama. 

TOOK  18  TO  THE  CENTRAL  MAINE  FAIR  AND  WON  11  PREMIUMS.  I  have  over  100 
pigeons  on  hand.  I  purchased  three  pairs  of  you  at  $2.50  per  pair  and  bought  two  pairs  of  C.  E. 
Melvin  at  $2  a  pair,  and  this  is  the  product  of  the  two  kinds.  I  took  18  of  them  to  the  Central 
Maine  Fair  at  Waterville  the  past  week  (September,  1907")  and  got  11  premiums  on  the  18 
birds.  The  others  are  all  about  the  same,  good,  healthy  birds.  —  S.  A.  P.,  Maine. 

FIRST  AND  SECOND  PREMIUMS  AND  SPECIAL  COMMENDATION  AT  THIS  ILLINOIS 
POULTRY  SHOW.  The  pigeons  you  sent  me  obtained  the  first  and  second  premiums  at  the 
poultry  show  with  special  commendation.  I  was  informed  the  judges  stated  that  one  pair  in 
particular  would  be  very  hard  to  beat  anywhere.  I  thoroughly  demonstrated  that  "  blood 
tells."—  O.  J.,  Illinois. 

ANOTHER  WON  FIRST  PRIZE  AT  AN  ILLINOIS  COUNTY  FAIR.  I  have  some  of  your 
Homers  bought.  They  are  fine.  They  have  won  first  prize  at  the  County  Fair.  Send  plans 
for  pigeon  houses.  —  T.  H.  W.,  Illinois. 

ONE  CUSTOMER  WON  THE  PRIZES  AT  BETTER    BIRDS    THAN    ANY    IN    THE 

THE   FAIR   WITH   OUR  BIRDS   AND   HIS  BIG    POULTRY    AND    PIGEON    SHOW    IN 

NEIGHBOR  WISHES  TO  GET  SOMETHING  MONTANA.          WANTED    SOMEBODY    HE 

TO    BEAT   THAT.     Enclosed   you   will   find  COULD  RELY  ON  FOR  THE  GENUINE.     I 

money  order  for  which  please  sand  me  three  am  very  well  pleased  with  the  stock  I  received 

pairs  No.  1  Homers,  one  drinker  and  six  to-day.  They  are  the  finest  lot  of  pigeons  I 

bowls.  Colors,  one  pair  blue  checkers,  one  ever  saw.  I  received  your  letter  and  direc- 

pair  reds  and  one  pair  blacks.  Please  send  tions  this  morning  and  tho  pigeons  this  after- 

mated  birds.  Send  some  good  birds  because  noon.  Thank  you  for  the  prompt  and  careful 

I  want  to  beat  your  customer  Mr.  N.  in  the  selection  you  gave  me.  Many  thanks  for  the 

poultry  show  here  soon.  He  got  the  prize  extra  pair  of  pigeons.  They  seemed  glad  to 

at  the  Fair.  I  have  some  blue  barred  hens.  get  out  of  the  box.  They  look  fine  for  the 

Please  send  me  all  the  circulars  that  you  long  trip  and  all  perfectly  well.  I  did  not 

send  out  because  I  want  to  start  in  the  expect  to  see  such  fine  birds  for  I  did  not 

business  right.  —  B.  R.,  Alabama.  know  how  they  would  get  through  the  snow 

blockade  in  the  Dakotas.  Although  I  have 

COW  PEAS  SUBSTITUTED  FOR  CANADA  seen  only  one  letter  from  your  customers  in 

PEAS.  I  enclose  you  what  they  call  "  cow  Montana,  I  think  that  if  I  follow  your  direc- 

peas  "  here  to  ask  you  if  they  are  what  you  tions  closely,  I  can  make  a  success  of  it. 

call  Canada  peas."  The  pigeons  I  got  of  There  ought  to  be  a  good  market  here  and  in* 

you  are  satisfactory  in  every  respect  Will  the  big  poultry  and  pkeon  show  there  were 

probably  get  more  March  1.—  D  H.,  Illinois.  none  could  stand  beside  these.  The  "  National 

Answer.  Cow  peas  are  not  Canada  peas  Standard  Squab  Book  "  convinced  me  that  I 

but  they  are  fed  largely  to  pigeons  and  if  they  wanted  somebodv  I  could  rely  upon  for  the 

are  plentiful  in  your  State,  feed  them.  genuine.—  M.  G.  S.,  Montana. 

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CHEAPEST  POSSIBLE  CONSTRUCTION. 

Single  boarding,  covered  with  roofing,  no  shingles.  The  long,  shallow  wood  trough  is  for  the  birds  to  bathe  in. 
The  water  enters  from  a  faucet  in  the  foreground.  After  the  birds  have  bathed,  the  water  is  emptied  bv  pulling 
a  plug  at  the  end.  The  trough  is  cleaned  with  a  broom.  The  man  who  sends  this  photograph  writes:  I  raised 
1650  young  ones  from  March  1,  1907  to  July  1,  1907  (four  months)  from  450  pairs  of  breeders  in  this  building." 

MADE  A  TRIP  SOUTH  AS  FAR  AS  VIRGINIA  AND  FOUND  OUR  BIRDS  THE  BEST  ALL 
ALONG  THE  LINE.  NONE  OTHERS  ANYWHERE  NEAR  THEIR  EQUAL  FOR  SIZE  AND 
QUALITY.  I  have  sold  lots  of  squabs  this  summer.  I  average  about  800  a  month.  Besides 
that  I  have  worked  up  a  little  side  trade  in  selling  mated  birds,  but  only  the  very  large  ones, 
.iuch  as  I  raise  myself.  Such  orders  bring  me  $3  a  pair.  I  can't  raise  them  fast  enough  to 
supply  my  trade,  but  I  guarantee  to  do  what  is  right  by  them  all. 

I  can  say  the  credit  is  yours  for  supplying  me  with  the  old  birds,  as  you  did,  but  I  only  wish 
I  had  sense  enough  to  have  held  on  to  all  I  ever  got  from  you.  Mr.  Rice,  I  claim  to  have  raised 
the  largest  Homers  that  any  man  can  raise. 

1  visited  a  plant  in  Pennsylvania.  While  I  was  there  I  was  also  down  to  Philadelphia  and 
Delaware  as  far  as  Virginia  and  I  saw  your  fine  birds  all  along  as  I  went,  but  none  others  were 
anywhere  near  their  equal  as  far  as  size  and  quality  went. 

I  will  take  the  largest  Homers  you  have  to-day  and  breed  them  in  mj  coops  and  raise  the 
young  ones  myself,  and  the  young  birds  will  be  larger  than  the  old  ones,  but  that  is  experience 
at.  —  L.  Y., 


that  does  th 


,  Connecticut. 


WHY  WE  HAVE  MADE  A  SUCCESS.     I 

wish  to  thank  you  very  much  for  the  nice 
selection  both  in  size  and  perfect  marking. 
I  readily  see  why  it  is  you  have  made  a  success 
of  Homer  breeding.  I  have  long  since  found 
a  satisfied  customer  is  by  far  the  best  advertis- 
ing medium  in  building  a  substantial  business. 
I  will  give  you  my  future  orders.  I  hope  to 
add  frequently  to  my  nice  loft  of  birds.  No 
off-color  or  inferior  birds-  can  exist  in  my 
s.—W.  B.  T., 


pens. 
Texas. 


Wishing    you    succ 


CANADA  CUSTOMER  FINDS  PROFIT- 
ABLE OCCUPATION.  About  six  months  ago 
I  purchased  from  you  seven  pairs  of  your 
Extra  mated  adult  Plymouth  Rock  Homer 
pigeons.  Have  had  very  good  success  with 
them.  Starting  with  seven  pairs,  J  have 
now  (June,  4,  1907)  fifty-six  hardy  Homers.  I 
also  got  a  Manual  from  you  and  find  it  very 
helpful.  On  the  whole,  I  think  squab  rais- 
ing is  one  of  the  most  profitable  industries 
pursued  to-day.  You  can  publish  this  letter 
if  you  wish. — J.  M.,  B.  C.,  Canada. 


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CONNECTICUT  WOMAN'S  BIRDS  BREED  BETTER  THAN  MANUAL  STATES.  SHE  HAS 
SEEN  ONLY  ONE  LOFT  OF  BIRDS  AS  GOOD  AS  HERS  AND  THAT  MAN  BOUGHT  HIS 
STOCK  OF  US.  I  will  give  you  a  statement  of  the  birds  I  received  from  you  the  23d  of  April, 
1907.  My  birds  do  very  much  better  than  you  state  in  your  Manual. 

They  arrived  in  perfect  condition  and  are  very  large  and  beautiful,  have  always  been  perfectly 
healthy.  There  has  never  been  only  one  that  was  sick  and  that  was  caused  from  moulting  and 
raising  birds  too  fast.  I  took  her  away  until  she  had  recovered  and  her  mate  cared  for  the 
young  birds.  These  birds  lay  when  their  young  are  from  12  to  21  days  old. 

Some  of  them  are  sitting  on  their  fifth  lot  of  eggs.  They  have  hatched  48  young  birds  in 
four  months  and  just  three  weeks,  and  expect  more  will  hatch  this  week.  Some  of  the  young 
ones  are  beautiful. 

I  have  never  had  young  birds  remain  in  their  nests  over  three  weeks. 

One  pair  build  on  the  floor  and  their  birds  leave  their  nest  at  17  days  old.  These  weigh  at 
three  weeks  14  ounces,  others  at  ten  days  weigh  one-half  pound  each,  some  at  three  weeks 
weigh  one  pound. 

I  have  some  that  are  very  delicate  from  which  I  shall  use  for  flying.  These  birds  do  not 
weigh  but  14  ounces  at  four  weeks  old. 

I  have  seen  but  one  loft  of  birds  as  large  and  handsome  as  these  birds,  and  those  were  owned 
by  a  Mr.  Corn  well  of  Milford.  He  bought  his  first  birds  of  you  and  claims  that  they  raise  11 
pairs  of  birds  a  year.  One  of  my  neighbors  who  was  watching  my  birds  said:  "  In  all  the  birds 
I  have  ever  seen  these  are  the  largest  and  most  lovely." 

I  have  followed  your  advice  in  the  care  of  them  and  would  like  to  know  if  mine  are  doing 
as  well  as  the  average  you  hear  from.  If  I  am  successful  in  flying  the  birds  will  let  you  know. 
Enclosed  you  will  find  money  order  for  50  pounds  of  health  grit. — Miss  A.  A.  W.,  Connecticut. 

CHAIR  SEATS  USED  FOR  THE  BOTTOMS  OF  NEST-BOXES,  CHEAPER  THAN  LUMBER 
HOW  TO  CHOP  UP  STRAW  FOR  NESTING  MATERIAL.  I  note  you  say  use  long  boards 
for  bottoms  of  nests  and  short  pieces  perpendicular.  I  reversed  this  before  seeing  your  plans 
by  standing  up  long  boards  1 2  inches  apart,  toenailed  to  wall.  These  boards  have  three-quarter- 
inch  by  three-quarter-inch  cleats  for  bottoms.  I  use  12-inch  three-ply  perforated  seats.  These 
seats  are  varnished,  are  light  and  strong,  as  your  excellent  bowls.  They  are  slightly  concave 
in  center,  just  fitting  the  nestbowl,  and  the  perforations  do  not  extend  beyond  margin  of  bowl. 
I  fasten  bowls  to  them  with  stove  bolts.  I  can  remove  nut  in  a  moment  and  have  bowl  and 
base  separate  for  cleaning,  and  they  are  cheaper  than  good  lumber,  which  costs  five  to  six 
cents  a  square  foot.  Seats  12  inches  square  can  be  bought  for  three  cents  each.  They  come 
10,  11  and  12  inches  square. 

You  suggest  no  easy  way  for  chopping  straw  in  proper  length  for  nests.  I  have  stumbled 
onto  a  cheap  and  easy  plan  for  small  fellows  like  me.  Use  a  common  mitrebox  and  saw. 
Place  mitrebox  on  table  near  end  and  a  receptacle  beneath.  One  or  two  strokes  w-1!  cut  througr 
a  big  handful  of  straws  and  as  you  move  up  for  next  cut,  the  short  ends  drop  L  u  receptacle. 

I  hope  you  do  not  consider  all  this  didactic  (or  what  not)  for  to  tell  the  truth  i  have  gottefi 
more  pleasure  and  information  out  of  your  Manual  than  I  could  have  gathered  with  endless, 
and  expensive  experimenting,  and  I  want  to  help  if  I  can  in  any  small  way. — P.  O.  L.,  NeM 
Jersey. 

HIS  BATH-PANS  ARE  MOUNTED  ON  A  PIPE  AND  HE  EMPTIES  ALL  WITH  ONE  TURN 
OF  A  CRANK.  FILLS  ALL  BY  TURNING  ONE  VALVE.  My  self-feeder  is  just  perfect.  Two 
of  the  ranches  about  here  are  fitting  up  with  it.  I  also  have  all  my  windows  raised  or  lowered 
at  the  same  time  and  with  only  one  motion.  One  or  as  many  as  you  like  can  be  detached 
and  remain  closed.  I  can  stand  in  my  feed  room  and  do  the  whole  thing  without  taking  a  step. 

My  bath-pans  are  all  mounted  on  a  one  inch  pipe  running  through  the  fly-'ng  pen.  The 
crank  is  just  outside  the  end  of  the  pen.  It  locks  when  the  pans  are  up  for  bathing.  The 
water  is  turned  on  by  a  faucet  outside  the  flying  pens.  Now  to  empty  this,  no  going  inside 
the  pens,  frightening  the  birds  and  swashing  the  dirty  water  onto  your  hands.  You  .iust 
unlock  the  crank,  rock  the  pans  to  and  fro  two  or  three  times,  turn  down  your  crank  and 
every  pan  dumps  its  dirty  water  onto  a  drip  board  running  outside  the  pen.  Leave  your  pans 
down  and  no  snow,  ice,  or  droppings  can  get  ioto  them. 

My  drinking  fountains  all  work  from  the  passageway.  Not  a  particle  of  filth  can  get  into 
them. 

NJW  I  have  not  written  this  in  anv  spirit  of  egotism.  I  consider  it  just  common  sense 
economy  of  my  own  construction. — J.  W.,  New  Jersey. 

THIS  FLORIDA  CUSTOMER  BEGAN  WITH  TWELVE  PAIRS  OF  OUR  EXTRAS  IN  1903. 
We  now  (September,  1907).  have  about  400  to  500  birds  and  during  winter  and  spring  have 
killed  on  an  average  of  25  squabs  per  week.  To  be  accurate  in  this  I  cannot,  as  no  account 
was  kept,  but  must  say  the  birds  have  proven  very  satisfactory  indeed.  Will  give  Mrs.  B.  your 
letter  upon  her  return  and  she  can  answer  it  also. — J.  C.  W.,  Florida. 

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SQUABS  SHOULD  NOT  BE  SOLD  DRAWN- 
THE  COOK  IS  THE  ONE  WHO  DRAWS 
THEM.  The  six  pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers  have  increased  to  about  60  since 
last  May  20,  breeding  right  on  all  the  time, 
just  the  same  now  (January,  1907),  as  last 


summer,   all  large   youngsters,   which 

with    feet    off,    head    off,    entrails    removed 


igh 


,  ,  . 

just  over  half  a  pound.  Please  let  me  know 
whether  commission  men  weigh  them  that 
way,  or  if  they  leave  the  feet  and  head  on?  — 
P.  A.  W.,  Pennsylvania. 

Answer.  Squab  dealers  always  weigh  them 
with  the  head  and  feet  on  and  undrawn. 
Never  draw  your  squabs  before  selling  them. 
They  will  not  keep  so  well  in  the  markets, 
and  the  marketmen  do  not  take  them  that 
way.  The  heads,  feet  and  insides  are 
removed  by  the  cook. 


GRAIN  AND  SUPPLIES  TO  THE  GULF 
STATES  BY  STEAMSHIP.  Please  quote  me 
price  on  200  pounds  of  mixed  feed  but  with- 
out chops.  I  cannot  get  wheat  or  hemp 
seed,  and  I  find  my  birds  do  better  on  your 
mixed  feed.  The  birds  I  ordered  from  you 
some  time  ago  are  doing  finely.  I  am  very 
much  pleased  with  them. — B.  E.,. Mississippi. 
!  -  Note.  We  ship  a  great  deal  of  grain  and 
Other  supplies  to  customers  living  in  Gulf 
States  by  boat  from  New  York  to  Mobile, 
New  Orleans,  Galveston  and  other  ports,  a 
quick  and  cheap  route,  much  faster  than  rail, 
and  more  satisfactory.  The  shipments  get 
less  handling. 


In  this  barn,  the  customer  whose  picture  is  printed 
Q  this  page  made  his  start.    It  is  still  in  use  but  the 


greater  part  of  his  breeding  is  done  in  a  long  multiple 
unit  house  nearby. 

AFTER  ONE  YEAR'S  SUCCESSFUL 
TRIAL  HE  BUILDS  A  HOUSE  FOR  THREE 
HUNDRED  PAIRS.  The  pigeons  I  got  of 
you  a  little  over  a  year  ago  have  been  doin? 
finely.  Am  now  (April,  1907)  building  a 
house  to  accommodate  three  hundred  pairs. 
Enclosed  find  check  for  $23.04  for  which 
please  send  me  two  gross  of  the  fibre  nest- 
bowls.  I  will  have  a  picture  of  my  new 
house  taken  a  little  later  on  and  send  to  you. 
I  could  not  give  you  any  definite  figures  as 
to  what  your  birds  have  dpr.e  for  me,  as  I 
had  some  other  birds  in  with  th^m.  How- 
ever, the  ones  got  of  you  are  the  best  and 
largest.  One  pair  especially  has  raised  a  pair 
of  squabs  almost  every  month.  I  expect  to 
put  some  of  your  birds  to  themselves  as  soon 
as  my  new  house  is  ready,  and  may  be  able 
to  give  you  figures  on  them  later  on. — H.  B., 
Indiana. 


THIS  CUSTOMER 

Started  with  a  dozen  pairs  of  our  birds  and  has  run 
them  up  to  800  pairs,  paying  a  handsome  profit. 
This  is  spare  time  work  for  him,  as  he  is  regularly 
employed  at  his  trade. 

WONDERFUL  MATINGS.  MORE  SALES 
PROMISED.  I  received  the  12  pairs  of 
birds  O.  K.  in  fine  shape  April  11,  7  p.m., 
}  907.  They  are  a  nice-looking  lot  of  breeders 
aad  all  you  claim  them  to  be,  as  two  of  them 
laid  eggs  while  in  transit  and  two  more  laid 
to-day,  April  13,  so  you  see  there  is  some- 
thing doing.  The  other  six  pairs  are  doing 
well.  All  laid  but  one  oair,  and  I  think  they 


are  coming  along  all  right.  I  assure  you  that 
such  fair  treatment  means  a  continuation  of 
sales  with  me  and  I  shall  recommend  the 
Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co.  to  those  who  are 
buying  breeders.  Will  return  baskets  to-day. 
You  can  use  this  as  a  testimonial  if  you  wish. 
— W.  B.  H.,  Massachusetts. 


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BEAUTIFUL  PAIR  OF  SPLASHES. 
The  second  bird  on  the  left  and  the  last  bird  on  the  right  are  types  of  oddly-marked  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 

FEEDS  HIS  BIRDS  LOCUST  LEAVES  AND  PEPPER  GRASS.  BOSTON  DEALER 
ALWAYS  GIVES  HIM  MORE  THAN  THE  MARKET  QUOTATIONS  BECAUSE  HIS  SQUABS 
ARE  WORTH  MORE.  I  purchased  12  pairs  Extra  Homers  of  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab 
Company,  in  February.  1906,  the  best  stock  I  could  buy.  I  saved  all  my  squabs  for  breeders  up 
to  January  1907,  when  I  began  to  ship  the  squabs.  They  average  9  pounds  to  the  dozen, 
and  I  receive  from  $3  to  $4  per  dozen  for  them.  I  ship  to  the  Boston  market. 

I  feed  my  birds  on  wheat,  cracked  corn  and  kaffir  corn  in  equal  parts,  with  peas  and  hemp- 
seed  as  dainties.  I  feed  them  in  wooden  traps,  not  finding  any  self-feeder  which  I  like.  A 
box  containing  grit,  oyster  shells  and  charcoal  is  kept  before  them  all  the  time  and  the  flying 
pen  outside  covered  with  coarse  sand.  I  find  pine  needles  to  be  the  best  nesting  material, 
the  birds  building  a  small,  neat,  compact  nest  with  them. 

I  sell  the  pigeon  manure  to  parties  in  town  at  50  cents  per  bushel.  My  squab  house  is  36 
feet  long  by  14  wide,  with  a  passageway  three  feet  wide  on  one  side.  The  birds  are  watered 
by  fountains  placed  in  the  passageway.  My  flying  pen  is  36  feet  wide,  18  feet  long  and  ten 
feet  high,  divided  into  three  parts. 

I  find  my  birds  to  be  very  fond  of  locust  leaves  and  pepper  grass,  eating  it  like  grain.  They 
like  peas  and  hempseed  so  well  that  they  will  fly  on  to  my  hand  for  them.  My  birds  are  mostly 
blue  checkers,  with  a  few  reds  and  silvers  among  them. 

I  ship  nearly  every  week  to  a  large  commission  dealer  in  Faneuil  Hall  Market,  who  always 
gives  me  more  than  the  market  quotations.  My  birds  are  all  in  fine  condition,  no  poor  ones 
among  them,  and  are  raising  big,  fat  squabs  at  the  present  time.  (June,  1907.) — E.  B.  K., 
Massachusetts. 


MOVING,  GOING  INTO  THE  BUSINESS 
ON  A  LARGER  SCALE.  Our  Homers  have 
done  fine  since  we  have  had  them.  We  have 
doubled.  So  far  we  have  lost  only  one  pair 
of  squabs  and  we  think  the  parents  smothered 
them.  Then  one  of  our  young  birds  of  our 
first  pair  got  out  and  away  and  we  think  he 
was  frozen  or  caught  by  a  cat,  for  the  night 
was  a  cold  one.  Now  we  are  going  to  move 
and  take  a  place  where  we  can  go  into  the 
business  on  a  larger  scale,  so  we  will  hope  to 
send  for  more  birds  as  soon  as  we  get  coops 
ready. — Miss  H.  L.  A.,  New  Jersey. 

PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  BEST  IN  MEMPHIS. 
I  have  lost  only  one  bird  from  sickness  I 
have  had  no  trouble  with  lice  at  all.  My 
birds  keep  very  clean  and  are  also  very  tarr.e. 
I  go  to  see  all  the  pigeons  around  Memphis 
but  find  none  as  fine  looking  as  yours.  Your 
Manual  is  a  fine  teacher,  why  it  is  worth  a 
dollar.  I  hope  to  have  success  by  following 
your  Manual  as  I  have  done  so  far. — W.  A., 
Tennessee. 


SQUABS  TEN  POUNDS  TO  THE  DOZEN. 
GOING  TO  SHIP  TO  NEW  YORK  FROM 
IOWA.  If  you  remember  I  bought  some  fine 
Homers  of  you  a  year  ago  last  September. 
They  were  the  Extras.  They  have  done  well. 
Must  have  now  150  birds,  fine  large  ones  at 
that.  I  can  send  squabs  to  New  York  from 
here  for  $1.50  per  50  pounds.  That  is  what  I 
want  to  do  eventually.  I  weighed  12  squabs 
just  as  they  came,  one  month  old.  They 
weighed  a  trifle  over  10  pounds.  One  pair 
weighed  two  pounds  exact. — J.  C.,  Iowa. 

SUPERIOR  HOMERS  BREEDING  EX- 
TREMELY LARGE  SQUABS.  Accept  my 
thanks  for  your  fair  treatment  with  regard 
to  my  order  of  June.  The  birds  are  breeding 
extremely  large  squabs.  Since  then  I  have 
had  given  to  me  twelve  pairs  pedigreed 
Homers,  but  yours  are  superior  in  every  way. 
Enclosed  find  P.  O.  money  order,  for  which 
please  send  me  six  pairs  Extra  mated  adult 
Homers  and  twelve  wood-fibre  nestbowls. — 
P.  R.  M.,  Massachusetts. 


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PLYMOUTH  ROCK  BLUE  BARS  AND  BLUE  CHECKERS. 

BOY  IN  THE  INDIAN  TERRITORY  13  YEARS  OLD  GOT  RID  OF  HIS  FLOCK  OF  COMMON 
BIRDS  AS  SOON  AS  HE  SAW  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  AND  WHAT  THEY  WOULD  DO.  The 
nappies  ordered  of  you  came  on  time.  My  pigeons  put  them  to  use  as  soon  as  they  arrived. 
I  bought  six  pairs  of  your  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  in  January,  1907.  I  now  (July)  have 
32  large,  full-breasted  birds.  Some  of  the  young  ones  are  going  to  work  now.  I  am  13  years 
old  and  was  anxious  to  do  something  to  make  a  little  money  while  going  to  school,  and  saw  an 
advertisement  of  your  Homers  and  made  up  my  mind  to  try  them.  I  am  more  than  satisfied 
with  my  investment  and  within  the  next  year  I  expect  to  have  a  very  nice  little  income. 

In  your  Manual  you  show  a  diagram  of  a  self-feeder,  and  I  had  one  made  which  is  very 
satisfactory,  as  it  saves  so  much  work  and  attention.  I  can  get  all  the  grain  recommended 
by  you  except  the  buckwheat  and  hempseed,  and  I  use  red  (instead  of  white)  wheat,  and  my 
birds  are  thriving  and  doing  well. 

I  hope  to  be  able  to  dispose  of  all  I  can  raise  here  in  my  home  market,  as  they  are  so  large 
and  fine.  In  fact,  there  is  all  the  difference  in  the  world  between  my  Homer  squabs  and  the 
ordinary  scrub  squab,  and  it  will  pay  any  one  wanting  to  go  in  the  business  to  get  the  best  to 
start  on.  I  weighed  some  of  my  squabs  this  morning  (iust  three  weeks  old)  and  they  average 
one  pound  each,  or  two  pounds  to  the  pair.  I  had  a  flock  of  common  birds  and  the  squabs 
were  dark  skinned  and  weighed  about  eight  ounces,  and  when  I  read  of  your  birds  I  at  once 
sold  out  and  ordered  from  you,  and  I  certainly  feel  that  I  made  a  good  trade.  I  expect  to 
order  six  pairs  more  soon.  Thank  you  for  the  promptness  and  care  taken  of  my  orders. — 
L.  G.,  Indian  Territory. 


THREE  DOLLARS  A  DOZEN  FOR  PLY- 
MOUTH   ROCK    SQUABS    IN    ARKANSAS. 

Please  send  six  more  pairs  of  your  Extra 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and  one  dozen  nest- 
bowls.  We  are  able  to  get  $3  a  dozen  for 
our  squabs  at  the  hotels  here. — W.  A.  T., 
Arkansas. 


L^JRGEST  EVER  SEEN  IN  ONTARIO. 
The  weather  has  been  very  cold  here,  30 
degrees  below  zero,  so  I  have  kept  a  coal  oil 
stove  going  most  of  the  time.  Your  birds 
have  been  greatly  admired.  They  are  the 
biggest  that  have  ever  been  seen  here. — 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 


1907 


MORE   STORIES   OF   SUCCESS 


1908 


ON  A  RUNNING  BOARD  IN  THE  SUN. 

NESTBOWLS  VERY  PRACTICAL  AND  ARE  A  NECESSITY.  BUSINESS  SHEET  OF  A 
BEGINNER  WITH  SQUABS  IN  CANADA.  On  May  5,  1906,  I  received  your  lot  of  seven  pairs 
Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  one  pair  out  of  the  seven  being  free,  as  some  nestbowls  were 
bought  previously,  to  allow  for  the  express  charges  on  them.  I  may  say  that  these  bowls  are 
very  practical,  as  none  of  my  squabs  have  suffered  from  sprawled  feet  as  is  noticed  when  earthen- 
ware nappies  are  used. 

The  breeders  were  put  in  the  pigeon  house  the  same  night  and  it  was  not  long  before  they 
became  acquainted  with  their  new  home.  •  Full  instructions  were  sent  before  the  pigeons  reached 
here  and  as  these  were  clear  it  was  very  easy  to  follow  them.  Sixteen  days  after  their  arrival 
there  were  two  eggs  in  a  nest.  This  was  an  event,  as  many  friends  were  interested.  They 
were  much  surprised  to  see  these  three-week-old  squabs  weighing  14  ounces  and  even  more 
than  16  ounces  at  four  weeks.  Their  common  pigeons  were  looking  very  small  against  my 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  which  were  looking  so  fine.  It  was  really  funny  to  hear  them  taking 
notice  of  the  wonderful  difference.  Mine  were  looking  so  fine  with  their  large  breasts,  their 
bright-looking  eyes,  their  wings  which  look  to  be  detached  from  them.  The  opinion  of  my 
friends  was  that  they  were  the  finest  birds  they  ever  saw. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  month  there  were  four  squabs  and  six  eRgs,  at  the  end  of  October  12 
pairs  of  eggs  had  been  !aid  and  hatched,  making  a  total  of  22  pairs  of  squabs  at  the  end  of  six 
months.  All  the  squabs  of  the  first  August  were  eaten  at  a  family  dinner  and  proclaimed  the 
finest  squabs  that  were  ever  served  on  such  an  occasion.  Since  that  time  we  disposed  of  the 
squabs  for  breeding  purposes  and  for  eating.  Last  winter  I  had  15  pairs  of  squabs  laid  but  as 
the  winter  was  very  cold  some  of  the  squabs  died  because  the  parents  were  not  acclimated, 
but  I  am  sure  that  this  winter  will  not  be  so  fatal  as  they  will  be  acclimated.  Since  April,  1907, 
I  have  had  29  pairs  of  eggs,  of  which  26  pairs  of  squabs  have  been  eaten.  In  consequence, 
pigeon  keeping  in  Quebec  has  proved  to  be  a  success,  a  paying  business,  when  proper  birds  are 
used — that  is,  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company  Homers. 

Business  Sheet  of  an  Amateur  Squab  Breeder. 

May  5,  1906  to  September  1,  1907. 
Total  of  eggs  laid,  66  pairs. 
Total  of  pounds  of  grains,  638,  at  a  cost  of  $11.47. 

Rations  of  Grains  for  Feeding  Purposes. 

Winter  Summer 

Peas    30  Ibs.  30  Ibs. 

Red  Wheat 15  Ibs.  25  Ibs. 

Buckwheat 15  Ibs.  15  Ibs. 

Cracked  corn  (not  sifted) 40  Ibs.  30  Ibs. 

During  September  and  October  I  fed  30  pounds  red  wheat  and  40  pounds  peas. 
The  pigeons  are  sold  in  Montreal  for:      50 — 70  cents  per  pair  in  winter,  45 — 55  cents  per 
pair  in  autumn,  30 — -40  cents  per  pair  in  spring,  25 — 35  cents  per  pair  in  summer.     Average 
price,  40  cents  per  pair  — G.  G..  Canada. 


KNOW  WHERE  TO  BUY  WHEN  THEY 
WANT  THE  PIGEONS  WHICH  ARE  THE 
VERY  BEST  IN  EVERY  RESPECT.  In 
February,  1906,  I  bought  pigeons  from  you 
from  which  I  am  raising  the  finest  flock  of 
pigeons  that  I  ever  saw.  I  am  sending  to  you 
herewith  with  hopes  of  getting  more  from  you 
that  are  equally  as  good  if  not  better  than 
the  ones  I  got  last  year.  The  enclosed  order 
is  partly  for  myself  and  partly  foi  Mr.  Ritter, 
who  has  been  corresponding  with  you  recently. 
We  want  pigeons  that  are  the  very  best  in 
every  respect. — W.  A.  G.,  Ohio. 


BEAUTIES,  EXCELLENT  LAYERS,  VERY 
HEALTHY.  In  September,  1904, 1  purchased 
from  you  12  pairs  of  birds.  We  have  in- 
creased our  flock  to  over  100  pairs  so  at 
present  (October,  1907)  I  am  obliged  to  sell 
some  of  our  young  birds  for  the  need  of 
making  room  *or  others.  They  are  beauties 
and  give  good  satisfaction.  They  are  excellent 
layers,  hatching  fine,  large  squabs  weighing, 
from  eight  to  12  ounces  and  are  very  healthy. 
Perhaps  next  year  I  shall  be  situated  so  I  can 
order  about  50  pairs  of  your  first-class 
breeders.— E.  E.  H.,  New  Jersey. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 


1907 


MORE   STORIES  OF   SUCCESS 


1908 


INTERIOR  OF  MASSACHUSETTS  CUSTOMER'S  HOUSE. 

Wire  netting  is  used  always  to  separate  the  units,  not  board  partitions.  This  breeder  has  not  set  nest  boxes 
up  against  the  wire  netting,  but  this  is  done  in  almost  every  case. 

NEVER  HAD  A  SICK  BIRD  AMONG  OURS,  BUT  BIRDS  FROM  ANOTHER  SOURCE  ARE 
WEAK  AND  POOR  BREEDERS,  HANDLED  UNDER  THE  SAME  CONDITIONS.  You  will 
probably  remember  me  as  having  bought  two  dozen  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  pigeons  from  you 
last  November.  Out  of  the  25  pairs  you  sent  me,  I  have  20  pairs  working.  One  bird  died, 
one  got  away  and  one  cock  bird  I  killed.  I  thought  I  would  try  some  one  else's  birds  to  see 

what  they  would  do,  so  I  bought  two  dozen  pairs  from .  I  built  a  new  house 

exactly  the  same  as  I  put  your  birds  in,  and  have  given  them  the  same  treatment,  but  they 
are  not  doing  as  well  as  your  birds.  They  do  not  seem  strong  and  vigorous  like  your  birds. 

I  would  like  you  to  send  me  24  pairs  of  your  very  best  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  I 
am  not  particular  as  to  color  so  long  as  the  quality  is  there. 

I  have  kept  the  birds  I  got  from  the  other  man  in  a  pen  by  themselves  as  I  want  to  give 
them  a  fair  chance.  They  may  be  young  birds,  as  they  do  not  seem  to  care  for  their  eggs  and 
young  as  they  should  do.  I  give  them  exactly  the  same  treatment  as  I  give  the  others,  but 
they  do  not  seem  as  vigorous  as  your  birds.  I  have  never  had  a  sick  bird  among  yours,  since 
I  got  them,  only  the  one  that  died  soon  after  I  received  them. — J.  W.,  West  Virginia. 


NEWS  OF  OUR  SUCCESS  CARRIED  TO 
INDIA.  Having  heard  something  of  your 
wonderful  success  in  this  business  from  a 
gentleman  from  America,  I  should  very  much 
like  to  hear  full  particulars.  I  have  some 
young  nephews  in  California  whom  1  should 
like  to  help  make  a  start  in  some  way. — 
M.  C.  H.,  Bombay,  India. 

LOST  ONLY  TWO  YOUNG  SQUABS.  Will 
you  be  so  kind  as  to  tell  me  where  I  can  get 
a  good  cut  of  a  pair  of  Homer  pigeons?  My 
birds  which  I  bought  of  you  are  doing  well. 
I  have  not  lost  any  but  two  young  squabs 
before  they  were  grown.  They  are  certainly 
nice. — L.  L.  D.,  Georgia. 


GOOD  MATINGS.  FOUR  NESTS  SIX 
DAYS  AFTER  REACHING  KENTUCKY. 

Homers  received  in  splendid  condition  on 
March  8.  They  are  surely  a  beautiful  lot  of 
birds.  Am  very  much  pleased  with  them 
and  hope  to  duplicate  order  in  a  short  time. 
They  have  built  four  nests  already.  (March  14.) 
—I.  P.  Y.,  Kentucky. 

ONE  HUNDRED  SQUABS  A  MONTH 
WEIGHING  ELEVEN  TO  FOURTEEN 
OUNCES.  I  have  nothing  but  your  Extra 
stock  exclusively  and  am  now  turning  out  100 
or  more  fine  squabs  weighing  11  to  14  ounces 
and  over  every  four  weeks. — E.  M.,  South 
Carolina. 


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1908 


SIX  SQUABS  WEIGHED  A  LITTLE  OVER 
FOUR   AND    ONE   HALF   POUNDS.     I    am 

sending  you  by  mail  a  photo  of  one  of  my 
pigeon  houses.  1  cannot  have  both  houses 
taken  in  the  same  picture  because  they  are 
too  far  apart.  This  picture  was  taken  when 
I  had  only  25  pairs  of  birds  in  it.  I  now 
have  45  pairs  in  it,  all  your  birds,  and  they 
are  doing  fine.  The  birds  are  not  quite 
through  the  moult  yet  but  they  have  been 
breeding  right  along.  I  killed  six  squabs 
to-day  and  they  weighed  a  little  over  four 
and  one-half  pounds  after  they  were  picked; 
so  that's  not  so  bad,  considering  that  they  are 
moulting.  Please  let  me  know  if  you  can 
let  me  have  two  pairs  of  good  Carneaux, 
something  you  can  recommend,  as  I  would 
like  to  get  good  ones.— W.  I.  L.,  West 
Virginia. 


WOMEN  ENJOY  SQUAB  RAISING. 

HE  HAS  THE  LARGEST  HOMERS  IN  HIS 
PENNSYLVANIA  TOWN.  I  think  it  is  time  . 
to  !et  you  know  about  my  birds  which  I  got 
from  you  in  April,  1906.  Well,  they  are 
doing  all  right.  You  know  I  got  three  pairs. 
Now  (May,  1907)  I  have  36.  About  16 
young  ones  died  last  winter  on  account  of  the 
very  cold  weather  we  had.  I  must  thank  you 
very  much  for  the  birds  which  you  sold  me. 
We  have  quite  a  lot  of  people  that  have 
Homer  pigeons  around  here,  but  I  have  the 
largest  of  them  all,  so  I  am  well  satisfied  and 
shall  always  recommend  your  squab  farm 
and  your  Homers. — H.  D.  K.,  Pennsylvania. 

EXTRA  POCKET  MONEY.  I  thought  I 
would  write  and  tell  you  how  my  birds  are 
getting  about.  I  have  raised  squabs  enough 
to  pay  for  their  expenses  and  extra  pocket 
money. — J.  D.,  Massachusetts. 


EXTRA  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  SUPERIOR 
TO  ANY  RUNT  CROSSES  AT  MUCH  LESS 
COST.  I  have  been  interested  in  your 
advertisements  for  some  time,  and  if  you  will 
favor  me  with  any  suggestions  regarding  my 
own  birds,  I  will  be  grateful.  About  two 
years  ago,  I  got  some  Runt-Homer  crosses 
of  the  best  strain,  thinking  them  best  for 
heavy  squabs.  They  are  as  prolific  as  can  be, 
but  the  squabs  weigh  only  14  or  15  ounces 
at  four  weeks  old.  The  surroundings,  feeding, 
etc.,  are  all  right,  as  I  am  only  keeping  a  few 
pairs  for  pleasure  of  it.  Would  like  to  be  put 
aright. — P.  A.  R.,  California. 

Answer.  The  strain  of  Extra  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers  we  have  developed  are  superior 
in  weight  of  squabs  and  rate  of  breeding  to 
any  Runt  cross,  at  one-fourth  the  cost  of 
Runts.  The  only  birds  superior  to  our  Extra 
Homers  are  our  Carneaux.  These  breed 
squabs  weighing  12  pounds  and  more  to  the 
dozen,  and  breed  faster  than  Homers. 

NO  LET-UP  IN  BREEDING  IN  STATE 
OF  WASHINGTON.  FINE,  FAT  SQUABS. 
Since  last  August  I  have  been  a  very  sick 
man;  in  fact,  came  very  cTose  to  the  divide, 
but  have  not  crossed  over  yet.  (April,  1907.) 
About  my  pigeons,  I  have  not  noticed  any 
let  up  about  their  breeding  since  they  com- 
menced last  May.  I  have  about  150  all  told 
now,  fine  big  fellows.  I  have  fed  them  red 
wheat,  kaffir  corn,  hemp  seed  and  the  small 
yellow  seed  you  recommended,  have  forgotten 
its  name,  with  grit,  clam  shell  from  the 
beach,  salt  and  charcoal  once  in  a  while, 
fountain  of  water  in  the  house  and  running 
water  in  the  yard.  The  birds  do  not  like 
strangers.  They  are  not  afraid  of  me.  I 
have  some  fine  fat  squabs.  You  can  im- 
prove on  your  hopper  feeder  by  nailing  a  lath 
on  the  inch  piece  to  which  the  feeding  holes 
are  nailed.  Let  it  stand  up  one-half  to 
three-quarters  inches  above  the  one-inch 
•piece.  It  does  not  allow  them  to  pull  out 
the  gram  so  fast.  I  send  you  a  picture  of 
the  house  and  yard  with  a  few  of  the  pigeons 
on  roosts. — G.  H.,  State  of  Washington. 

TWELVE  PAIRS  OUT  OF  THIRTEEN 
PAIRS  AT  WORK  IN  TWELVE  DAYS 
AFTER  RECEIPT.  I  thought  it  might  be 
of  interest  to  you  to  know  how  my  little  flock 
of  birds  are  getting  along.  It  has  been  just 
twelve  days  since  they  arrived  and  I  now  have 
twelve  pairs  out  of  the  baker's  dozen  at  work. 
It  strikes  me  that  there  is  "  something  doing." 
I  have  a  nice,  roomy  home  for  them  and  do 
everything  that  I  can  to  make  them  happy, 
and  enjoy  the  care  of  them  very  much.  T 
feel  now  as  though  I  will  succeed  and  if  I  do 
I  will  build  me  a  unit  plant  next  spring  and 
will  stock  it  with  your  Homers..  I  go  East 
about  once  a  year  as  far  as  New  York,  and  the 
next  time  I  go,  I  will  go  over  to  Boston  and  visit 
your  plant. — B.  A.,  Georgia. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANT 


1907 


MORE    STORIES   OF    SUCCESS 


1908 


AT  THE  BACK  OF  A  BARN. 

Showing  how  a  New  York  customer  made  a  handsome  home  for  his  birds  without  doing  any  building.  (This 
flying  pen  is  shown  in  detail  on  next  illustrated  page.) 

THAT  THE  WORK  IS  NOT  BEYOND  THE  PERSON  OF  AVERAGE  ABILITY  IS  PROVED 
BY  THE  SUCCESS  OF  THIS  15-YEAR-OLD  BOY  WHO  HAD  NO  PREVIOUS  EXPERIENCE 
AND  NO  GUIDE  BUT  THE  MANUAL.  Please  send  me  prices  on  pigeon  supplies,  also  prices 
on  breeding  stock,  as  I  have  mislaid  those  that  I  received  from  you  about  a  year  ago  when  I 
purchased  pigeons  of  you.  I  am  only  a  boy  of  15  and  must  wait  until  I  can  earn  enough  from 
the  ones  I  have.  My  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  have  done  very  well.  My  brother  bought 
six  pairs  of  you  and  he  sold  them  to  me  immediately  after  they  began  work  before  winter  was 
half  way  begun.  One  pah"  died,  so  that  left  me  only  five  pairs  of  breeders.  I  was  so  interested 
in  these  that  I  forgot  about  the  pair  that  died.  They  worked  fine  until  cold  weather  set  in, 
having  averaged  a  pair  of  squabs  from  each  pair  every  seven  weeks,  but  during  the  cold 
weather  we  raised  less.  Our  loft  being  upstairs,  in  an  old  granary,  was  pretty  cold. 

This  spring  (1907)  they  began  work  in  earnest  again,  laying  their  eggs  again  before  the  squabs 
were  two  weeks  old.  One  young  pair  only  four  months  old  raised  a  pair  of  squabs  weighing 
one  and  one-half  pounds.  I  have  now  about  seventy-five  (75)  birds  old  and  young  and  lots  of 

We  got  50  cents  a  pair  for  the  squabs  we  sold,  but  I  did  not  wish  to  sell  many  because  I  am 
to  raise  them  for  breeders. 

It  certainly  pays  to  buy  the  Extras,  for  everybody  who  sees  them  says  they  are  splendid,  but 
I  believe  your  Manual  is  just  as  necessary  to  make  it  a  paying  business.  I  do  not  see  how  I 
could  raise  them  without  it.  Perhaps  I  will  want  some  more  breeders  if  I  get  the  building 
ready  this  summer. — G.  L.  G.,  Wisconsin. 


ONE    SALE    LED    TO    ANOTHER.     No 

doubt  you  are  acquainted  'with  Carlton 
Daniel,  who  is  a  first  cousin  of  mine.  His 
pigeons  looked  so  fine  that  they  encouraged 
me  to  buy  of  you.  I  don't  think  mine  can  be 
beaten. — F.  W.,  Indiana. 


OUTGROWN  THE  COOP.  Please  send  me 
five  dozen  nestbowls  and  one  drinking 
fountain  by  express.  My  coop  has  got  too 
small  to  hold  the  birds.  The  dozen  pairs 
you  sent  me  have  increased  to  125  birds. — 
F.  C.  W.,  Massachusetts. 


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MORE   STORIES  OF   SUCCESS 


1908 


SHIPSHAPE  FLYING  PEN. 


This  is  the  flying  pen  of  the  place  illustrated  on  preceding  page.    By  the 
the  timbers  so  that  the  effect  is  permanent  and  beautiful. 


off  the  t 


of  inch  boards  the  owner  has  finished 


THIS  NEW  JERSEY  BREEDER  RECEIVES  $4.50  A  DOZEN  FOR  HIS  SQUABS  AND  THE 
DEMAND  IS  SO  GREAT  THAT  HE  CANNOT  FILL  HIS  ORDERS,  SO  BUYS  MORE  BIRDS 

In  sending  my  second  order  (January,  1907)  for  your  Extra  mated  birds,  I  would  like  to  put  in 
a  few  words  in  regard  to  the  birds  I  received  from  you  in  1904.  My  birds  have  done  finely. 
I  sent  to  Boston  $30  for  12  pairs.  The  birds  arrived  in  the  finest  shape  that  was  ever  seen  in 
this  part  of  New  Jersey.  I  received  the  birds  in  Ma/,  1904,  and  had  eight  pairs  cf  squabs  in 
July.  I  theu  went  to  work  and  kept  all  the  squabs  for  a  short  time  until  they  got  s_ix  to  seven 
months  old,  then  I  went  to  mating  them  the  way  you  show  in  your  Manual.  I  now  in  January, 
1907,  have  200  birds  which  is  only  one -fourth  of  the  birds  I  raised,  but  the  demand  for  squabs 
was  so  great  that  I  could  not  get  the  chance  to  save  any  for  breeding.  That  is  the  reason  why 
I  send  an  ordtr  for  50  pairs  of  your  best  birds. 

My  house  is  12  feet  wide  and  26  feet  long  with  a  hall  three  feet  wide,  one  window  on  the 
north  side  and  three  windows  on  the  south  side,  with  POO  nests.  My  first  house  was  12  feet 
by  12  feet,  but  I  found  out  that  when  handling  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  it  docs  not  take  long 
for  them  to  make  money  for  a  larger  house,  and  to  get  a  start  in  a  business  of  our  own. 

I  would  like  to  tell  you  that  I  put  one  advertisement  in  a  paper  of  our  town  some  time  ago, 
not  to  sell  my  squabs  for  I  had  more  orders  than  I  could  fill,  but  to  let  my  friends  know  that 
I  meant  that  there  was  money  in  handling  your  birds.  The  advertisement  brought  me  so 
many  orders  that  I  didn't  know  what  to  do. 

The  demand  for  squabs  is  so  great  that  I  get  $4.50  per  dozen.  My  squabs  average  nine  to 
12  pounds  to  the  dozen. 

I  am  going  to  build  house  No.  3  this  spring  and  then  I  will  need  more  of  your  fine  birds. 

I  would  like  to  tell  you  a  few  words  in  regard  to  the  Manual.  It  is  the  finest  I  have  ever  read 
for  the  reason  you  show  how  to  run  a  successful  squab  business. 

I  use  the  self-feeder  which  you  show  in  your  Manual.  I  always  find  the  feed  clean  and  dry, 
which  is  the  main  part  of  the  feeding  part.  I  feed  cracked  corn,  red  wheat,  Canada  peas  and 


hempseed.     The  feed  bill  will  not  exceed  85  cents  a  year  per  breeding  pair.     I  can  figure  on 
nine  pairs  of  squabs  per  year  at  75  cents  per  pair,  which  leaves 
year  for  each  pair  of  breeders. 


me  a  net  profit  of  $5.20  per 


I  am  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  results  obtained  from  your  birds  and  wish  you  continued 
success. — A.  N.,  New  Jersey. 

VALUES  HIS  BIRDS  AT  FIVE  DOLLARS  USUAL  STORY  FROM  IOWA.  The  birds 
A  PAIR.  I  would  not  sell  my  birds  for  five  received  from  you  last  winter  are  doing 
dollars  a  pair  now. — C.  E.,  New  Jersey.  finely. — E.  R.  W.,  Iowa. 


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1908 


BIRDS  FED  ONLY  CRACKED  BARLEY. 
KNOWS  WHERE  TO  GET  MORE  BIRDS. 

I  have  some  fine  birds  and  am  ctuck  on  that 
last  basketful  you  sent — those  nice  dark 
checkers,  and  some  of  the  nicest  sky  blue  I 
ever  saw.  I  have  some  young  birds  from 
the  last  ones  you  sent  me  that  will  mate  in 
two  or  three  weeks,  so  you  can  see  they  did 
not  lose  much  time  after  shedding  feathers. 
There  was  a  man  at  my  place,  whose  name  I 
forget.  He  said  his  birds  were  from  your 
pjace  and  that  my  birds  were  livelier  than 
his.  I  told  him  if  he  would  follow  your  book 
he  would  be  all  right.  I  told  him  he  was 
feeding  too  much,  or  he  was  not  giving  them 
the  right  feed,  and  he  said  he  was  feeding 
cracked  barley  so  he  cannot  expect  much 
from  his  birds. 

I  went  to  the  market  to  find  out  what  they 
are,  paying  for  birds.  They  are  paying  25 
cents  apiece  for  old  common  birds  and  he  said 
that  they  pay  more  for  Homer  squabs. 

My  birds  are  getting  along  finely.  I  am 
going  to  get  60  cents  a  bushel  for  manure 
with  straw  in  it,  which  I  think  is  a  good  price. 

If  I  want  any  more  birds  I  know  where  to 
get  them  and  that  is  from  your  place. — J.  C., 
Wisconsin. 

READY  SALE  IN  LOUISIANA  FOR  \LL 
SQUABS  THAT  CAN  BE  PRODUCED. 
PRICES  ARE  GOOD,  RANGING  FROM  $2.50 
TO  $4.00  A  DOZEN.  I  received  your 
National  Standard  Squab  Book  on  the  evening 
of  the  5th  inst.  and  have  studied  same  over 
carefully  several  times  and  will  say  that  I 
am  perfectly  satisfied  with  it  and  consider 
your  Manual  one  of  much  value  and  indis- 
pensable to  one  who  intends  to  raise  squabs. 
I  expect  to  order  from  you  in  half  dozen  and 
dozen  lots,  until  I  get  me  a  good  flock  of 
breeders.  (This  I  will  have  to  do  on  account 
of  my  limited  means  and  again  I  am  not  at 
my  home.  I  am  employed  by  the  railroad 
company  as  foreman  and  my  house  is  25 
miles  from  my  work.  However,  I  am  con- 
fident that  I  will  be  in  a  position  to  quit 
railroading  in  12  months  from  now  if  I  have 
good  luck  with  birds.)  I  have  an  ideal  place 
for  a  squab  plant  containing  12  acres  of 
good  land  and  nice  d_welling  and  out  buildings. 
I  have  also  investigated  the  marketing  of 
squabs  in  this  territory  and  find  that  I  can  get 
ready  sale  for  all  that  I  can  produce  at  from 
$2.50  to  $4.50  per  dozen,  according  to  weight 
and  plumpness. — T.  H.,  Louisiana. 

THIS  ILLINOIS  YOUNG  WOMAN  HAS 
GIVEN  US  HALF  A  DOZEN  ORDERS  FOR 
BIRDS  BETWEEN  1903  AND  1908.  Please 
find  enclosed  two  post-office  money  orders 
for  $125  and  send  me  50  pairs  Extra  Plymouth 
Rocks.  My  mother's  sickness  interfered 
with  my  plans.  I  have  lost  many  orders  by 
not  having  enough  breeders.  I  think  it  safe 
to  try  now.— Miss  J.  M..  Illinois. 


HAS  KEPT  PIGEONS  FOR  YEARS. 
PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  DO  BETTER  THAN 
ANY  HE  EVER  BRED.  I  had  35  pairs  of 
your  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  to  start 
with.  They  are  fine  birds  and  very  good 
breeders.  I  have  kept  pigeons  for  years, 
but  yours  do  as  well  and  in  some  respects 
better  than  any  I  ever  had.  I  intended  to 
breed  them  for  squabs,  but  there  is  such  a 
call  for  good  breeders  that  I  have  not  had 
any  chance  to  sell  squabs. — A.  T.  K.,  Massa- 
chusetts. 

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD  BOY  EARNING 
POCKET  MONEY  FOR  TWO  YEARS. 

About  two  years  ago  I  bought  three  pairs 
of  your  best  Homer  breeders  and  they  are 
getting  along  very  nicely.  I  am  only  15 
years  old.  I  am  running  my  business  the 
way  described  in  your  National  Standard 
Squab  Book.  Have  you  a  1907  copy  of  this 
book? — J.  A.  M.,  Wisconsin. 


NEST  OF  STRAW  AND  FEATHERS. 
Some  birds  build  a  scanty  nest,  using  only  a  few 
wisps  of  straw,  with  perhaps  a  feather  or  two.  A 
nestbowl  is  an  absolute  necessity  for  such  pairs, 
otherwise  the  eggs  soon  roll  apart  or  out  of  the  nest  box. 
In  April,  1907.  a  Missouri  woman  wrote  us  as  follows: 
"Enclosed  find  draft  for  $11.52,  for  which  please  send 
me  one  gross  of  nestbowls.  One  year  ago  I  started 
with  40  pairs  of  Homers.  Now  I  have  something 
over  400  birds.  I  have  lost  a  great  number  of  eggs, 
and  feel  like  I  must  have  the  nestbowls,  as  they  pre- 
vent the  eggs  from  rolling  out.  Send  them  at  once." 

GETTING  RID  OF  COMMON  PIGEONS 
AND  PURCHASING  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS. 
THE  MOST  WEIGHTY  BIRDS  HE  EVER 
SAW.  I  have  a  number  of  common  birds 
which  I  am  either  going  to  sell,  or  kill  them 
for  my  own  use,  but  I  will  exert  every  effort 
to  sell  them  and  purchase  more  birds  of  you, 
as  I  think  yours  are  the  most  weighty  birds 
I  ever  saw.  As  soon  as  I  am  rid  of  what 
common  birds  I  have  on  hand  now,  you  may 
expect  my  order  for  some  more  of  your 
breeders.— T.  W.,  New  York. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB    COMPANY 

2U 


1907 


MORE   STORIES  OF   SUCCESS 


1908 


QUICK  WORK  BY  THE  NEW  FLOCK  OF 
A  NINE- YEAR-OLD  BOY.  I  should  per- 
haps have  written  you  earlier  of  my  boy's 
success  with  the  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 
which  you  sent.  One  pair  were  nesting  in 
three  days  and  inside  of  three  weeks  there 
are,  I  think,  ten  of  the  thirteen  pairs  at  work, 
and  if  my  recollection  serves  me,  inside  of 
four  weeks  he  had  ten  or  a  dozen  squabs 
hatched. 

It  is  now  nearly  five  weeks  since  he  had 
them  and  some  of  the  squabs  are  nearly  large 
enough  to  market.  I  consider  this  a  pretty 
good  record. — H.  C.,  New  York. 

Note.  The  above  gentleman  is  a  well- 
known  business  New  Yorker.  His  boy  is 
only  nine  years  old. 


DIFFERENT  SIZES. 

This  shows  two  squabs,  one  of  which  is  growing 
faster  than  the  other.  This  means  that  it  is  pusl ' 
its  smaller  mate  out  of  the  way  at  feeding  time 
getting  more  feed  from  the  parents.  In  such  eases, 
the  bigger  one  will  grow  fast  and  the  smaller  one  will 
be  stunted.  The  latter  should  be  helped  by  being 
taken  out  of  the  nest  and  put  alongside  a  squab  of 
its  own  size  in  another  nest,  the  larger  squab  there 
being  brought  back  to  grow  up  with  a  mate  of  its  own 
size.  The  parents  in  both  cases  do  not  neglect  the 
new  comer. 

MARYLAND  CUSTOMER  SATISFIED 
AND  ENLARGING.  On  November  27,  1906, 
I  received  from  you  50  pairs  of  Plymouth 
Rock  pigeons.  I  put  them  into  what  I 
considered  an  up-to-date  house,  using  nappies 
for  nests.  I  am  starting  another  pen  and 
expect  before  fall  to  have  150  pairs  of  good 
stock.  I  feed  cracked  corn  and  wheat  and 
I  also  give  the  Canada  peas  when  I  can  get 
them,  a  little  hemp  and  rice  once  in  awhile. 
1  am  entirely  satisfied  and  when  I  am  in  the 
market  for  more  birds,  Elmer  Rice's  birds  will 
do  for  me.  Thank  you  for  your  many 
kindnesses. — W.  B.  C.,  Maryland. 


QUICK  BEGINNING  BY  MATED  PAIRS. 
ALL  AT  WORK  WITHIN  TWO  WEEKS 
AFTER  DELIVERY  AND  A  PAIR  OF 
SQUABS  ON  HIS  TABLE  WITHIN  SEVEN 
WEEKS.  MORE  ORDERS  FOLLOW. 
Within  seven  weeks  from  the  date  of  receipt 
of  the  birds  I  ordered  from  you,  I  have  had  a 
pair  of  broiled  squabs  on  my  table,  and  such 
squabs  I  never  saw  before.  A  few  days  before 
they  were  four  weeks  old,  they  weighed  a 
pound  each. 

Some  of  my  pairs  went  to  work  within 
five  days,  and  all  of  them  within  two  weeks 
after  their  receipt.  Jt  has  been  less  than 
three  months  since  I  received  the  seven 
pairs,  and  I  have  killed  two  pairs  squabs, 
and  my  flock  has  more  than  doubled.  I 
think  this  is  a  good  record.  I  can  readily  sell 
my  young  pigeons  here  for  breeding  purposes 
at  good  prices,  but  as  I  ordered  them  to  raise 
squabs  for  my  own  table,  have,  so  far,  declined 
to  sell  any. 

Two  of  my  neighbors  have  duplicated  my 
order  since  they  have  seen  mine,  and  I  am 
sure  other  orders  will  follow. 

I  am  delighted  with  the  business  and  take 
a  great  interest  in  my  birds,  which  have 
learned  my  voice,  and  when  I  go  out  to  the 
fly,  come  fluttering  at  my  call.  I  prefer 
squabs  to  chickens,  and  they  are  much  less 
trouble,  and  so  much  easier  to  raise. — J.  M., 
Mississippi. 

BEST  THESIS  HE  EVER  READ  ON  ANY 
SUBJECT.  I  have  the  pleasure  of  acknowl- 
edging receipt  of  your  National  Standard 
Squab  Book  and  having  read  it  once  through 
and  made  notations  of  details  (not  indexed) 
at  the  sides  of  the  pages,  I  can  get  the  meat 
of  any  subject  promptly.  I  want  to  say 
(which,  of  course,  must  have  been  said  a 
great  many  times  to  you)  that  "  it  is  bully," 
it  is  the  best  thesis  I  ever  read  on  any  subject. 
I  have  tried  to  think  of  questions  that  sug- 
gested themselves  to  me  I  would  like  an- 
swered, but  in  vain.  You  have  answered 
everything.  I  want  to  state  to  any  one 
interested  in  squabs,  surely  your  Manual  is 
worth  its  weight  in  gold. — W.  C.,  Wisconsin. 

NEVER  WAS  TREATED  MORE  FAIRLY. 

My  birds  arrived  October  1  in  first- class 
condition,  earlier  than  I  expected.  Never 
spent  money  for  anything  better.  They  are 
regular  beauties.  I  thank  you  for  the  extra 
pair;  I  never  was  treated  more  fairly.  Hope 
to  give  you  a  larger  order  next  time. — P.  M., 
New  Orleans. 

MAN  OF  FORTY  YEARS'  EXPERIENCE 
HAS  NEVER  SEEN  BETTER  HOMER3 
THAN  OURS.  The  birds  came  safe  last 
night.  I  told_you  before,  I  had  some  of  that 
sort  (a  few  pairs)  continuously,  for  over  forty 
years.  I  never  had  any  better  and  many 
inferior  in  fancy  points.  Accept  my  thanks  — 
L.  O.,  New  York. 


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MATED  PAIRS  START  QUICKLY.  BEST 
BREEDERS  IN  A  LIFE-TIME  OF  EXPERI- 
ENCE. SUGGESTION  FOR  CITY  PEOPLE. 
SURE  WAY  OF  MATING.  I  have  received 
yours  of  the  18th  and  am  following  out  your 
request.  About  the  color,  either  a  blue  or 
a  red  checker  cock  will  do.  I  should  like  to 
know  how  I  am  to  get  him.  I  started  in 
just  one  month  ago  with  my  shipment  of  12 
birds  and  about  five  days  later,  in  which  time 
they  had  to  pick  up  from  the  fatigue  of  the 
journey,  a  pair  of  blues  were  sitting  on  eggs. 


This  was  kept  up  at  intervals  by  the  others 

when  I 
eggs, 
of  nights. 


until  now  when  I  have  ten  young  ones  and 
two  eggs,  which  are  being  hatched  by  a  pair 


. 

Barring  one  sick  one  I  can  honestly  call  this 
a  good  investment  because  I  have  had 
pigeons  since  I  was  ten  years  old  and  in  that 
time  I  have  not  seen  any  better  done.  Should 
they  keep  this  up.  I  find  the  market  good,  I 
shall  buy  some  more  this  spring.  You  said 
the  Eagle  and  Sun  had  quotations  on  squabs, 
but  unless  it  is  somewhere  else  than  on  the 
market  page,  neither  of  these  papers  has 
them.  They  want  a  dollar  a  pair  for  them  in 
butcher  shops. 

The  Manual  is  all  right,  but  if  you  want 
suggestions  I  should  say  that  the  way  you 
describe  for  having  pigeons  in  the  city  is  very 
seldom  used.  The  most  popular  way  is 
putting  a  coop  and  screen  on  a  flat  roof  or 
on  poles  in  the  yard.  This  is  the  way  you 
will  see  most  coops  in  Brooklyn  and  New 
York.  However,  the  way  you  describe  is  a 
very  good  advice  for  those  with  peaked  roofs, 
as  I  know  many  people  would  have  pigeons 
if  their  roofs  weren't  peaked.  On  mating 
birds  I  should  also  tell  of  a  very  effectual 
way  I  have  for  mating  stubborn  pigeons  who 
absolutely  refuse  to  mate.  This  is  to  put 
them  in  a  box  or  something  so  that  they 
cannot  get  any  light  and  leave  them  so  until 
you  think  they  ought  to  be  taken  out  and 
then  put  them  together  and  in  most  cases 
they  will  be  so  glad  to  get  back  to  light  and 
see  another  pigeon  that  they  will  mate  right 
away.  Should  they  still  refuse  repeat  the 
method  until  they  do,  but  this  method  has 
worked  so  that  I  have  yet  to  come  across  the 
one  I  could  not  mate  this  way.  —  H.  H..  New 
York. 

FIRST  SQUABS  WHEN  TWO  WEEKS  OLD 
WEIGHED  TWELVE  AND  FOURTEEN 
OUNCES.  Perhaps  you  will  be  interested 
to  know  that  the  first  pair  of  squabs  at  two 
weeks  weigh  12  and  14  ounces  respectively. 
Am  pleased  with  the  weight.—  A.  T.  V., 
New  Hampshire. 

ONE  YEAR  CF  PROGRESS.  Enclosed 
find  money  order  for  which  please  send  me 
six  dozen  wood  fibre  nestbowls  by  freight. 
The  Homers  I  got  from  you  aboxtt  a  year  ago 
are  working  splendidly.  —  E.  A.,  Pennsylvania. 


MONEY-MAKING  STORY  BRIEFLY 
TOLD.  BIG  FLOCK  RAISED  FROM  SMALL 
PURCHASE.  PROLIFIC  BREEDERS.  If 

you  remember,  I  bought  from  you  in  the 
autumn  of  1906  12  pairs  of  squab  breeders. 
One  pair  went  to  work  the  second  day  after 
arrival,  the  others  following  in  close  order. 
In  two  weeks  every  pair  but  one  had  eggs.  I 
now  have  (October,  1907)  576  pigeons,  two 
pairs  haying  raised  11  pairs  per  year,  the 
others  nine  and  ten.  I  feed  cracked  com, 
whole  wheat,  hemp  seed,  barley,  kaffir  corn 
and  rice.  During  the  moulting  season  I 
feed  a  good  quantity  of  hemp  seed.  I  think 
the  squab  business  is  a  very  good  money 
making  enterprise  if  well  attended  to. — 
R.  F.  S.,  New  York. 


AN  INEXPENSIVE  START. 

TWO  YEARS'  SUCCESS.  GOING  TO 
SHIP  TO  BIGGER  MARKET.  I  am  now 

raising  more  squabs  than  our  local  market 
demands  at  reasonable  price  and  in  order 
to  obtain  good  prices  must  find  market 
elsewhere.  Can  you  put  me  in  the  way  of 
same?  I  bought  my  first  Homers  of  you  in 
August,  1905,  and  have  had  remarkable 
success  with  pigeons,  having  lost  but  15  that 
were  able  to  fly,  in  all  the  time  since  then.  I 
will  feel  very  grateful  for  any  information 
you  may  be  able  to  give  me.  Also  kindly 
quote  me  price  on  50  pairs  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers,  as  I  think  of  adding  another  loft. — 
C.  H.,  Wisconsin. 

ALL  PAIRS  AT  WORK  QUICKLY.  PLY- 
MOUTH ROCKS  RECOMMENDED  ABOVE 
ALL  IN  DELAWARE.  My  Homers  arrived 
safe  and  I  am  certainly  pleased  with  them. 
They  are  all  mated  and  I  expect  eggs  soon. 
I  recommend  your  birds  above  all.  I  told 
several  parties  about  my  birds  and  I  think 
they  will  give  you  an  order. — R.  W.,  Delaware. 


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1908 


LAYING  AND  HATCHING  WITH  TEM- 
PERATURE FIFTEEN  DEGREES  BELOW 

ZERO.  My  first  pair  laid  and  hatched  out 
squabs  which  grew  the  fastest  of  anything  I 
ever  saw.  When  the  eggs  were  laid  and  the 
birds  were  hatched  it  was  15  degrees  below 
zero  half  of  the  nights  (February,  1907)  and 
the  water  in  the  fountain  in  the  squab-house 
froze  hard  every  night.  My  first  young  birds 
are  about  as  large  as  the  old  birds  (April)  and 
are  flying  just  as  easily,  I  think,  as  the  old 
birds.— M.  S.  B.,  New  York. 

Note.  The  old  pigeons  protect  both  the 
eggs  and  the  squabs  more  closely  in  cold 
weather.  They  adapt  their  attention  to  the 
climate.  Do  not  fear  that  you  cannot  raise 
winter  squabs,  even  if  you  live  in  the  coldest 
parts  of  Canada. 

NOT  ONE  SICK.  NO  LICE.  My  pigeons 
are  getting  along  very  nicely.  You  sent  me 
13  pairs  last  December  and  now  (July,  1907) 
I  have  about  30  pairs.  Not  a  one  has  been 
the  least  sick,  and  have  not  been  troubled 
with  mites  nor  lice  among  them  as  yet.  Will 
soon  have  to  double  the  size  of  my  house.  I 
attend  to  them  myself. — M.  V.  B.,  South 
Carolina. 


A  ROW  OF  BEAUTIES. 

SELLING  IN  ST.  LOUIS  FOR  $4.50  A 
DOZEN.  You  will  find  enclosed  herewith 
an  order  with  remittance  for  55  pairs  of  your 
Extra  Homer  pigeons,  which  I  hope  to  receive 
as  soon  as  possible.  You  will  find  also  that 
I  send  order  for  yarious  other  supplies  which, 
if  you  think  it  will  be  cheaper,  you  will  please 
send  by  freight. 

The  pigeons  I  purchased  of  you  last  year 
are  doing  nicely  and  have  produced  some 
fine,  large  squabs.  They  are  selling  in  St. 
Louis  for  $4.50  per  dozen.  Thank  you  for 
fair  dealing  in  the  past  and  wish  you  success 
in  the  future. — R.  C.  H.,  Missouri. 

THREE  ORDERS  FROM  ONE  TOWN. 

Enclosed  herewith  I  send  you  check  for  which 
please  send  me  seven  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers.  I  ordered  seven  pairs  from  you  a 
short  time  ago,  and  also  had  Mr  McRaven 
duplicate  my  order. — J.  B.,  Mississippi. 

GOING  TO  TRY  IT  AGAIN.  Please  send 
Hie  your  printed  matter  as  soon  as  you  can. 
I  had  some  of  your  Homers  a  year  ago  and 
they  did  very  well.  I  expect  to  buy  some 
more. — J.  J.  R.,  District  of  Columbia. 


CHICAGO  MAN  REPLACING  HIS  FIRST 
BIRDS  WITH  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS 
AND  BUILDING  A  LARGE  PLANT.  Your 
letter  of  October  28  at  hand.  Please  send  me 
the  female  as  soon  as  possible  as  I  can  mate  her 
with  the  other  male.  I  still  have  the  birds  in 
the  crate  but  will  empty  it  Saturday.  I  am 
building  now  to  accommodate  500  pairs  of 
birds  and  have  torn  down  my  old  coop  so  I 
have  not  had  place  to  keep  my  birds.  I  am 
building  it  in  units  of  50  pairs  to  each  unit. 
Am  getting  rid  of  my  common  birds  as  fast 
as  possible. 

From  March  first  to  the  present  time 
(October)  I  have  38  youngsters  from  my 
original  six  pairs,  three  pairs  of  which  were 
No.  1  and  three  pairs  Extra.  Both  birds  bred 
alike,  with  the  exception  of  the  Extras 
breeding  a  much  larger  squab.  Eleven  pairs 
of  youngsters  have  eggs  at  present.  I  have 
lost  none  and  with  the  exception  of  the 
moulting  season,  I  think  I  have  done  fairly 
well.  I  have  not  sold  any  as  yet,  but  have 
been  asked  to.  Not  wishing  to  sell  any  until 
I  have  50  pair,  I  had  to  refuse  the  order,  but 
referred  him  to  you.  People  who  have  seen 
my  Homers  think  well  of  them  and  I  believe 
I  have  a  few  interested. — A.  S.  C.,  Chicago. 

TRIED  TO  GET  ALONG  WITHOUT  THE 
INSTRUCTION  BOOK  AT  FIRST.  I  have 
bought  two  sets  of  Extra  Homers  of  you,  but 
have  had  bad  luck.  I  do  not  have  any  now. 
I  am  going  to  read  up  on  the  care  of  pigeons 
before  going  into  it  again.  I  have  your 
National  Standard  Squab  Book  of  1905  "and 
think  that  it  is  very  well  written  and  it  con- 
tains some  very  sound  advice,  which  if  I  had 
followed  I  never  would  have  failed.  Is  the 
1907  edition  different? — 1.  H.  O..  Jowa. 

EVERY  PAIR  BREEDING  SHORTLY 
AFTER  ARRIVAL  IN  FAR  WEST.  I  received 
seven  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  the 
first  part  of  April  and  now  (May  20)  have 
five  pairs  of  squabs  a  week  old  and  the  other 
two  pairs  are  setting.  I  am  well  pleased. 
Strong,  healthy  birds.  It  is  a  wonder  the 
way  the  young  squabs  grow. — R.  R.,  State 
of  Washington. 

LITTLE  LOT  GAVE  HIM  CONFIDENCE 
TO  BUILD  AND  ORDER  MORE  BIRDS. 

The  three  pairs  of  pigeons  I  received  from 
you  in  January  are  doing  finely  (April,  1907), 
and  I  would  like  to  have  you  send  me  one  of 
your  plans  for  building,  and  as  soon  as  I  have 
the  plans  I  will  send  to  you  for  some  more 
pigeons. — R.  S.,  Chicago. 

EXACTLY  AS   REPRESENTED.     The 

breeders  I  got  from  you  are  first-class  and 
exactly  as  you  said  they  would  be,  and  are 
well.  Please  send  me  prices  on  grit  and  other 
supplies,  also  on  12  pairs  breeders. — W.  J.  W.t 
Pennsylvania. 


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TWO  CUSTOMERS  WHICH  HAVE  BRED 
LARGE  FLOCKS  FROM  SMALL  BEGIN- 
NINGS. Mr.  Bartholomew  of  this  place  has 
about  250  birds  which  he  has  bred  from  six 
pairs  of  No.  1  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  which 
he  says  he  got  of  you.  I  notice  the  difference 
between  the  Extra  and  No.  1  Homers.  Mrs. 
Virkler  has  about  150  birds  of  Extra  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers  bred  from  six  pairs. — C.  W.  B., 
New  York. 


EATING  FROM  HIS  HAND. 

The  California  man  who  owns  these  pigeons  writes: 

"They  are  beauties  and  breed  fine  squabs.    I  have 

bred  squabs  from  your  Homers  weighing  a  pound 

apiece.    Your  Manual  is  straight  and  true." 

RECOMMENDED  VERY  HIGHLY  BY  A 
LOUISIANA  FRIEND.  Enclosed  you  will 
find  a  money  order  for  which  you  will  please 
send  me  by  express  six  pairs  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers  No.  1  mated.  I  trust  you  will  make 
me  a  good  selection,  as  I  am  expecting  to 
raise  pigeons  and  wish  the  best.  You  have 
been  recommended  very  highly  to  me  by  Mr. 
Joseph  Malbrough,  as  he  has  ordered  the 
Plymouth  Rocks  from  you. — H.  H.,  Louisiana. 


SQUABS  WEIGHING  FROM  SIXTEEN 
OUNCES  TO  NINETEEN  OUNCES  EACH. 
OUR  STOCK  AND  OUR  SELF-FEEDER 
GET  THIS  RESULT  IN  TEXAS.  I  bought 
six  pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 
from  you  last  November,  and  I  now  (May 
1907)  have  31  in  all,  and  17  youngsters' 
Four  pairs  have  eggs.  Out  of  the  17  squabs 
I  lost  only  one,  the  death  of  that  being  caused 
by  one  of  the  parent  birds  stepping  on  one 
the  day  he  was  hatched.  My  squabs  have 
weighed  one  pound  to  a  pound  and  three 

I  have  built  a  pen  for  my  young  squabs 
as  you  advise  to  do,  and  I  find  that  they  do 
very  much  better. 

The  things  that  I  find  most  necessary  are, 
to  have  a  clean  house,  water  and  feed,  so  I 
clean  my  squab  house  every  two  weeks,  and 
have  clean  water  and  feed  always.  I  use  your 
self-feeder  so  the  pigeons  can  feed  their  young 
whenever  they  choose. 

The  ground  of  my  flypens  is  covered  with 
sand,  and  I  renew  it  every  month.  I  also 
use  oyster  grit  and  rock.  It  is  placed  in  the 
squab-house,  where  they  can  get  it  any  time 
they  want  it.  I  feed  wheat  and  kaffir  corn 
and  a  little  cracked  corn  now  and  then,  but 
they  do  not  need  much  corn  as  the  weather 
here  in  Texas  is  warm  nearly  all  the  year 
around. 

I  think  your  Homers  are  the  best  I  ever 
saw,  and  every  one  that  sees  them  says  the 
same  thing  about  them. 

Any  one  starting  into  squab  raising  should 
buy  your  Manual.  I  have  been  trying  to 
follow  it  as  nearly  as  possible  and  by  doing 
so  I  think  I  will  succeed  in  raising  squabs. 

I  intend  to  order  more  pigeons  of  you  at 
once. — F.  S.,  Texas. 

SUCCESSFUL  BREEDING  BY  THE 
SISTERS  OF  A  CHICAGO  CATHOLIC 
HOSPITAL.  Please  send  us  36  pairs  (Janu- 
uary,  1907)  the  same  as  you  did  the  four  pairs 
a  short  while  ago.  Kindly  send  the  very  best 
breed  only. — Sister  M.  M.,  Illinois. 

Note.  In  September,  1907,  we  shipped  36 
pairs  more  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  to 
the  above  customer,  who  is  the  sister  superior 
of  a  well-known  hospital  in  Chicago. 

NEW     JERSEY     FRIENDS     SATISFIED. 

Enclosed  please  find  check  to  cover  order  for 
24  pairs  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and 
supply  of  feed.  We  know  your  dealings  have 
been  square  with  friends  of  ours  in  New 
Jersey.  _  We  have  plenty  of  ground  here  and 
everything  going  right.  Will  soon  have  the 
other  houses  finished  up. — G.  M.,  Massa- 
chusetts. 

INCREASED        FIVE-FOLD        IN        SIX 

MONTHS.  Regarding  the  ten  pairs  of  birds 
I  bought  from  you  last  spring,  I  now  (Novem- 
ber, 1907),  have  52  pairs.— C.  V.,  Ontario. 


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1908 


WISCONSIN  HOTEL  PAYING  $3.50. 
SQUABS  WEIGHING  TEN  AND  THREE- 
FOURTHS  POUNDS  TO  THE  DOZEN.  I 

thought  I  would  write  you  a  few  lines.  I 
want  to  buy  some  more  birds  from  you, 
seeing  I  am  getting  along  so  nicely  with  the 
others  you  sent  me.  I  am  getting  $3.50  a 
dozen  at  the  Plankaton  House.  They  weigh 
ten  and  three-fourths  pounds  to  the  dozen. 
He  said  they  were  some  of  the  best  squabs 
be  had  ever  seen.  He  wants  me  to  come 
down  some  night  to  have  a  little  talk  with 
me.  I  want  to  get  a  basket  of  birds  from 
you  in  about  a  week  and  about  three  dozen 
of  nest  bowls  and  a  couple  of  weeks  later, 
some  more  birds,  if  everything  goes  all  right. 
I  have  some  fine  young  birds,  some  of  them 
weighing  a  pound  apiece.  I  find  out  that 
you  are  a  nice  man  to  deal  with  and  that 
everything  you  say  is  all  right  and  that  the 
birds  cannot  be  praised  too  much.  Guess  I 
will  close,  hoping  everything  is  going  good. 
— S.  H.,  Wisconsin. 

STEADY  GROWTH  IN  THREE  YEARS. 
ORDERS  FOR  SQUABS  OUTRUN  BIRDS, 
SO  MORE  ARE  BOUGHT.  I  am  going  to 
send  soon,  before  February  (1907),  probably 
in  a  week,  for  50  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock 
Homer  squab  breeders,  and  want  to  engage 
them  at  once,  before  the  February  trade 
begins. 

I  bought  of  you  six  pairs_  three  years  ago, 
since  then  12  pairs,  18  pairs  and  12  pairs 
again.  (Four  orders.) 

I  do  not  yet  have  enough  for  the  orders. 
The  birds  are  doing  better,  constantly.  Their 
houses  are  better,  and  I  know  more  how  to 
care  for  them,  and  what  things  are  important. 
Have  almost  finished  a  house — all  but  nests 
and  a  little  finishing  of  yard.  It  seems  as 
if  it  would  be  a  good  plan  to  get  birds  now 
before  the  really  cold  weather  comes.  I 
want  the  Extras,  best  you  have. — M.  I., 
Illinois. 

LIVELY  WORK  IN  MISSOURI  AND  THE 
LARGEST  SQUABS  EVER  SEEN.  I  am  in 
receipt  of  my  six  pairs  Extra  pigeons  and  am 
very  thankful  to  you  for  the  care  you  have 
taken  in  sending  these  to  me.  I  had  them 

i'ust  one  week  wjien  two  pairs  had  eggs,  and 
was  so  surprised,  but  yesterday  I  was  still 
more  surprised  when  I  went  into  the  pigeon 
house  and  found  four  pairs  setting,  and  two 
of  these  had  young  squabs.  Every  one  of 
my  neighbors  is  surprised  to  see  the  nice 
pigeons  you  sent  me.  Mr  E.  C.  Rice,  I  will 
in  every  respect  recommend  your  goods 
very  highly  and  I  am  sure  that  you  will 
appreciate  it.  These  squabs  are  the  largest 
that  I  have  ever  seen.  I  will  have  one  of 
my  f  -lends  take  a  snap  shot  of  my  pigeon 
house  and  send  you  a  picture. — E.  B., 
Missouri. 


MORE  ORDERS  FOR  SQUABS  THAN 
HE  CAN  FILL.  HOW  TO  FEED  SUN- 
FLOWER SEEDS.  I  am  thinking  about 
planting  a  batch  of  sunflower  seeds.  Will 
you  please  let  me  know  if  this  is  a  good  feed 
for  them,  and  how  to  feed  it  —  either  fresh 
from  the  stalk  or  pick  it  and  let  it  dry.  It 
would  be  a  great  saving  to  feed  this  during 
the  winter  for  me.  The  pigeons  bought 
from  you  are  O.K.,  doing  their  duty.  I  have 


..,     ong      e        u.  v 

more  orders  for  my  squabs  than  I  can   fill 
to  40  cents  apiece.     I  do  not 


and  getting  35  to  40  cents  apiece.     I  do  not 

do  any  plucking.  My  pigeons  are  doing  fine 
considering  being  locked  in  all  the  time.  — 
W.  S.,  New  York. 

Note.  Sunflower  seeds  are  good  for  pigeons, 
being  used  largely  as  a  substitute  for  hemp- 
seed.  Cut  off  the  heads  when  grown  and  dry 
them.  When  you  wish  to  feed  a  head,  throw 
it  into  the  pen  whole  and  the  pigeons  will 
pick  out  the  seeds. 


READY  TO  KILL 


These  squabs  are  four  weeks  old.  See  how  plump 
and  broad-breasted  they  are. 

FLORIDA  FRIENDS  ENTHUSIASTIC 
OVER  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS.  I  have  a  friend 
who  is  very  enthusiastic  over  my  pigeons. 
He  will  send  you  an  order  the  first  of  the 
coming  week  for  48  pairs  of  your  Extra 
Plymouth  Rocks  such  as  mine  Do  your 
best  for  him.  Of  course  he  expects  to  get 
two  extra  pairs  thrown  in  as  a  premium.  My 
birds  are  getting  along  very  nicely. — W.  J.  D., 
Florida. 

HAS   HEARD    FROM   HIS    FRIENDS.     1- 

have  heard  from  several  of  my  friends  about 
your  birds,  stating  they  were  very  fine.  I 
want  to  get  some  of  your  stock. — S.  W.  H., 
Kentucky. 


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1908 


WOULD  NOT  TRADE  HIS  PLYMOUTH 
ROCKS  FOR  ANY  IN  HIS  MONTANA 
TOWN.  I  have  had  fair  luck  and  in  all  the 
Homers  in  town  from  different  companies,  I 
would  not  trade  the  ones  I  got  from  you  for 
any  of  them.  Friday  noon,  April  12,  by 
carelessness,  some  boy  friends  in  going  from 
the  coop  let  one  of  my  fine  red  checkers  out, 
which  I  would  not  have  parted  with  for  $2. 
He  rose  into  the  air  and  after  circling  once 
flew  away  faster  than  I  ever  saw  a  pigeon  fly 
before.  In  discussing  the  matter  with  some 
people,  they  think  he  will  come  back,  but  he 
has  not.  Others  think  he  has  gone  back  to 
you. — M.  S.,  Montana. 

Note.  Letters  like  the  above  come  to  us 
constantly.  Guard  your  doors  carefully. 
Have  springs  on  them  so  they  will  close  with- 
out attention.  Homers  which  you  raise  you 
can  safely  let  fly,  because  they  know  no 
home  but  yours,  but  Homers  which  you  buy 
will  fly  off. 


SQUABS  25  DAYS  OLD. 

Note  that  although  they  have  been  in  the  bowl 
since  hatching,  it  is  comparatively  free  from  manure. 
They  back  up  to  the  edge  of  the  bowl  and  void  into 
the  nest  box.  It  is  the  nature  of  pigeons  to  try  to 
have  clean  nests,  and  they  should  be  given  a  chance 
by  the  use  of  nestbowls. 

NO  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  BEAUTY  AND 
SIZE  OF  OUR  EXTRAS.  I  received  the 
birds  last  evening,  just  24  hours  after  my 
order  was  sent  in — prompt  work,  that.. 
After  having  read  your  Manual  and  a  great 
many  testimonials,  I  was  expecting  som^ 
fine  birds,  but  find  I  had  no  conception  of  the 
beauty  and  size  of  your  Extras.  The  compact 
bodies,  rich,  healthy  color  and  uniformity  of 
size  were  a  thorough  surprise.  I  am  going  to 
follow  your  directions  given  in  the  Manual, 
and  you  may  count  on  me  as  a  customer  to 
the  extent  of  my  means. — Mrs.  M.  F.  C., 
achusetts. 


PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  IN  DEMAND 
IN  THIS  GEORGIA  TOWN.  Enclosed  find 
my  cneck.  Send  me  by  express  six  pairs 
Extra  blue-barred  Plymouth  Rock  Homers, 
mated.  I  have  about  got  this  town  started 
on  raising  pigeons.  Mr.  Barnes,  my  brother- 
in-law,  has  just  handed  me  your  new  circular. 
He  tells  me  he  has  ordered  12  pairs  from  you. 
I  hope  you  will  ship  him  some  nice  birds. 
His  son  has  just  bought  some  birds  from  the 

and  I  want  the  birds  you  ship 

me  and  his  father  to  make  him  regret  that  he 
did  not  order  them  from  you.  I  ordered 
blue-barred  birds  from  another  party  some 
time  back  and  they  sent  me  checkers.  If 
I  did  not  think  you  would  send  the  order  as 
I  am  sending  it  in,  I  would  not  send  it  to  you. 

You  remember  I  bought  a  few  pairs  of  birds 
from  you  a  little  over  a  year  ago.  I  have  sold 
a  great  many  birds  and  I  have  about  100  to 
125  pairs  of  working  birds  on  hand  now.  I 
am  building  me  another  pen  that  will  hold 
about  200  pairs. — R.  H.  N.,  Georgia. 

RAISING  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  STOCK 
ONLY.  BEST  BIRDS  EVER  SEEN  ANY- 
WHERE. The  birds  came  yesterday  all 
O.  K.  and  were  fine  birds,  and  thj  hen  with 
a  little  age  will  also  be  on  top.  Please  accept 
my  thanks.  What  I  especially  wanted  was 
solid  reds  and  when  you  do  get  hold  of  such 
a  pair  that  is  A  No.  1 .  send  them  to  me  and 
send  me  the  bill.  I  rm  raising  strictly 
Plymouth  Rock  stock  and  have  developed 
some  A  No.  1  birds,  the  best  I  have  ever  seen 
anywhere,  and  so  I  swear  by  E.  C.  Rice  stock. 
You  state  that  not  one  in  100  birds  are  solid 
reds.  I  know  this  to  be  a  fact.  When  I  do 
go  into  the  show  I  want  to  have  the  best  of 
all  colors  and  they  shall  be  Extra  Plymouth 
Rock  stock.— F .  B.  W.,  New  York.  ' 

OUR  WHITE  HOMERS  COMPARED 
WITH  OUR  COLORED  HOMERS.  I  do  not 

know  cf  a  man  I  would  trust  any  quicker  than 
you.  I  would  like  to  know  if  you  have  pure 
white  Homers  that  are  as  large,  plump  birds 
as  your  colored  ones  are. — G.  M.  L.,  Vermont. 
Answer.  We  charge  $2.75  a  pair  for  our 
white  Homers.  They  are  fine  birds,  as  large 
as  any  white  Homers  in  existence,  but  are  not 
so  large  as  our  Extra  colored  Homers  and  do 
not  breed  so  large  a  squab.  They  cost  more 
because  they  are  scarcer;  we  sell  a  lot  of  them 
for  pets,  for  their  handsome  plumage,  and 
for  undertakers. 

PROLIFIC  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  HAVE 
BRED  MORE  SQUABS  THAN  ANY  PIGEONS 
HE  HAS.  I  came  down  to  see  you  quite 
awhile  ago  and  bought  a  pair  of  your  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers.  Those  Homers  have  bred 
more  squabs  than  any  other  pigeons  I  have, 
and  I  have  a  good  many.  Will  you  please 
send  me  your  catalogue  of  prices. — T.  C., 
Massachusetts. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB    COMPANY 

•220 


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MORE   STORIES  OF   SUCCESS 


1908 


FIVE  MONTHS'  WORK.  SMALL  FLOCK 
QUADRUPLED.  ONE  OLD  BIRD  AND  TWO 
SQUABS  ONLY  LOST  BY  DEATH.  BREED- 
ERS OF  COMMON  PIGEONS  MYSTIFIED. 
I  write  you  a  sort  of  detailed  statement  of  how 
my  four  pairs  of  pigeons  have  done,  that  I 
bought  from  you  about  the  middle  of  May, 
1907.  One  of  my  birds  laid  in  about  two 
.weeks  after  her  arrival,  but  the  eggs  did  not 
hatch,  and  she  laid  again  in  about  ten  days 
lifter  I  found  her  eggs  were  not  good,  and 
that  time  she  hatched  all  right.  Two  other 
pairs  commenced  work  soon  after  the  first, 
and  both  of  them  hatched  all  right  and  the 
first  three  pairs  of  squabs  did  well.  I  have 
lost  one  of  the  hens  that  I  bought  from  you. 
She  died  after  raising  a  fine  pair  of  squabs. 
I  have  lost  two  squabs. 

I  now  have  18  birds  in  all,  after  deducting 
the  three  that  I  lost.  All  of  my  birds  are  now 
(October)  at  work,  some  making  nests  and 
some  sitting. 

Mine  are  the  only  Homers  in  this  part  of 
the  country  that  I  know  of,  and  every  one 
who  sees  them  is  charmed  with  them. 

There  are  one  or  two  parties  here  who  are 
trying  to  raise  the  common  pigeons  on  the 
same  plan,  that  is  by  confining  them,  but  are 
not  doing  much,  and  cannot  understand 
why  my  birds  do  so  much  better  than  theirs. 
They  say  that  if  I  make  a  success  of  the 
business  they  will  then  try  Homers. 

I  am  very  fond  of  the  business  and  find  it 
a  great  recreation,  and  very  little  trouble. 
I  attend  to  my  birds  before  breakfast  in  the 
morning  and  give  them  plenty  of  wati-r,  and 
then  at  dinner  time  I  feed  them  again,  and 
that  does  them  until  next  morning  They  are 
less  trouble  than  anything  of  the  kind  that  I 
ever  had  anything  to  do  with,  and  I  believe 
will  be  more  profitable  according  to  the  amount 
of  capital  invested.  —  C.  A.  F.,  Mississippi. 

SECOND  ORDER,  BIRDS  DOING  WELL, 
ANOTHER  ORDER  IN  PROSPECT.  I  here- 
with enclose  you  $1  in  currency,  for  which 
please  send  me  50  open  legbands  for  grown 
pigeons,  numbered  one  to  fifty.  The  last 
shipment  of  pigeons  came  to  hand  on  the 
second  in  good  shape,  and  are  a  nice  lot  of 
birds.  I  am  well  pleased  with  them.  My 
birds  are  all  doing  well.  I  think  that  1  shall 
give  you  another  order  soon.  —  F.  R.,  Missis- 
sippi. (The  first  shipment  to  this  customer 
was  made  in  April,  1907,  the  second  in 
October  of  the  same  year). 


GREAT  DEMAND  FOR  PLYMOUTH  ROCK 
SQUABS  IN  NEW  JERSEY.  I  received  on 
May  27,  1904,  one  dozen  pairs  of  your  birds 
and  I  have  200  birds  at  the  present  time. 
There  is  a  great  demand  for  Plymouth  Rock 
squabs  in  New  Jersey.  Please  send  me  your 
price  on  50  pairs  of  your  best  Extra  mated 
birds.—  N.  L.,  New  Jersey. 


FAST  START  IN  TWO  WEEKS  IN  NEW 
JERSEY.  On  April  22  I  wrote  you  informing 
you  of  the  arrival  of  the  birds.  Now  (April 
29)  there  are  two  nests  complete  and  six 
others  being  built,  which  I  should  think  was 
pretty  good  work  for  birds  not  yet  two  weeks 
in  a  strange  place.  The  birds  have  been 
highly  praised  for  their  fine  appearance  by 
a  number  of  friends  and  acquaintances  of 
mine,  and  of  course  the  natural  question  was, 
where  did  I  get  them  ?  And  as  I  am  a  pretty 
good  advertiser  for  any  one  that  I  considei 
to  be  worthy  of  such  advertising,  I  have 
recommended  your  company  as  the  right  one 
to  go  to  if  thsy  have  any  idea  of  investing.— > 
J.  H.,  New  Jersey. 


IN  THE  SNOW. 

Let  them  out  on  sunny  winter  days.  In  cold, 
stormy  weather  they  are  better  off  inside. 

FINEST  BIRDS  THAT  HE  EVER  SAW 
IN  LOUISIANA,  RESULT,  MANY  MORE 
ORDERS.  I  received  my  birds  Saturday 
evening,  November  2,  at  7  p.m.  Found 
them  all  in  A  1  shape  and  are  the  finest  birds 
I  ever  saw.  Please  accept  my  most  sincere 
thanks  for  the  extra  pair  and  for  your  nice 
selection.  I  will  return  your  basket  one  day 
this  week,  will  take  bill  of  lading  for  same 
from  express  agent  and  forward  to  you  date 
I  return  same.  I  will  send  you  an  order  for 
12  pairs  more  about  the  25th  of  this  month. 
I  want  to  order  a  small  shipment  each  month 
until  I  get  about  100  pairs  of  breeders.— 
G.  W.  T.,  Louisiana. 

PERFECTLY  MATED  IN  WEST  VIRGINIA 

I  write  to  tell  you  how  well  my  pigeons  are 
djing.  I  am  very  well  pleased  with  them 
as  I  believe  they  were  perfectly  mated  and 
went  right  to  wprk  after  they  were  in  the  loft 
not  more  than  a  week. — J.  N.  M.,  West 
Virginia. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB    COMPANY 

22  J 


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MORE   STORIES  OF   SUCCESS 


1908 


EVERY  PAIR  AT  WORK  IN  DOUBLE- 
QUICK  TIME.  BUILDING  UP  A  PLANT. 
I  think  a  few  lines  to  you  is  my  duty.  I 
expected  to  be  at  your  office  and  plant  before 
now.  My  young  son  got  struck  by  a  trolley 
car  about  the  time  I  was  going  to  go  to 
Boston,  and  just  escaped  very  serious  results, 
so  I  have  stayed  pretty  close  at  home,  but 
have  a  vacation  in  July  and  will  call  on  you 
then. 

About  the  birds,  they  are  doing  fine. 
They  went  to  work  at  once  and  some  of  them 
are  now  on  their  third  lot  of  eggs.  They  held 
their  matings,  every  pair.  I  feel  very  much 
encouraged  and  appreciate  your  fair  and 
honest  business  principles.  You  will  receive 
orders  from  us  in  the  future  as  we  are  going 
to  build  up  quite  a  plant. — H.  I.  L.,  Massa- 
chusetts. 


SQUABS  THREE  WEEKS  OLD. 

BRANCHING  OUT  FROM  A  SMALL 
BEGINNING  AFTER  SUCCESSFUL  EXPERI- 
ENCE WITH  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS 
IN  UTAH.  I  have  decided  to  go  into  the 
squab  business  on  a  large  scale  and  when  my 
business  interests  are  cared  for  will  move  to 
Salt  Lake  City  where  I  hope  to  work  up  a 
good  business  The  birds  purchased  from 
you  have  been  very  satisfactory  in  every 
particular  and  my  business  in  the  future  will 
be  done  direct  with  your  good  company.  My 
health  is  poor  through  confinement  and  I  am 
determined  to  try  squab  raising  for  the 
purpose  of  making  a  success  and  money. — 
W.B.,Utah. 

SQUABS  AS  A  SIDE  LINE.  Please  send 
me  two  dozen  wood-fibre  nestbowls  by 
express.  The  birds  I  received  from  you 
April  1  are  all  working  satisfactorily  (May 
13,  1907).  I  do  this  as  a  side  issue.  I  work 
in  the  factory  all  day  and  take  care  of  my 
pigeons  nights  and  mornings,  and  find  it  very 
pleasant  work. — E.  D.  D.,  Massachusetts. 


TEN  PAIRS  OF  SQUABS  A  YEAR  FROM 
ONE  PAIR.  MARKET  BROADENING  AND 
DEMAND  INCREASING.  The  pigeons  that 
I  bought  from  you  are  doing  nicely.  Most 
of  them  seem  to  be  in  good  condition  and 
keep  steadily  at  work.  One  pair  raised  ten 
pairs  of  squabs  a  year  and  there  are  others 
that  almost  equal  them.  I  began  last  fall  to 
save  those  from  the  best  breedeis.  I  had 
to  keep  them  in  the  house  with  the  older 
birds  because  I  had  nowhere  else  for  them 
to  stay.  They  disturbed  the  pigeons  through 
the  winter,  but  they  are  mating  and  getting 
to  work  now. 

I  sell  all  the  squabs  I  can  raise  to  one  of  the 
local  marketmen.  At  first  there  was  no  sale 
for  them  except  in  summer  when  wealthy 
people  from  the  larger  cities  are  sojourning 
here,  but  he  bought  all  I  had  last  winter.  (See 
note  below.) 

When  ready  for  market  they  weigh  from 
two  pounds  to  two  and  one-half  pounds  a  pair. 
They  _are  white  and  fat  and  the  dealer  has 
complimented  me  a  number  of  times  about 
them. 

I  find  the  business  very  interesting  and 
would  like  to  engage  in  it  more  extensively 
if  I  could  get  more  time  to  devote  to  the 
birds,  but  it  is  impossible  to  do  so  at  present. 
— Miss  M.  n.,  Connecticut. 

Note.  The  squab  market  has  broadened 
tremendously  since  we  first  began  advertising 
in  the  high  class  periodicals  advising  people 
to  eat  squabs  as  well  as  raise  them.  This 
habit  of  eating  squabs  has  a  steady  hold  all 
the  year  round  on  thousands  of  families  who 
ten  years  ago  did  not  know  what  a  squab 
was.  This  demand  is  increasing  every  year. 
In  spite  of  the  steady  growth  in  production 
of  squabs,  the  prices  are  as  high,  and  in  many 
cases,  higher  than  ten  years  ago. 

DELAWARE  MAN  FINDS  IN  OCTOBER, 
1907,  THAT  NEW  YORK  MARKETS  ARE 
HOLDING  GOOD.  PRICES  ARE  LIKELY 
TO  GO  HIGHER.  I  received  your  Manual 
yesterday  and  am  very  much  pleased  with  it 
and  stayed  up  until  1.30  last  night  reading  it. 
I  believe  that  if  I  follow  your  instructions 
and  make  up  my  rnind  to  make  a  success  of 
it,  I  will  be  able  to  do  it.  I  knew  a  little 
about  pigeons  before,  as  my  brother  and  I 
kept  a  nock  of  common  pigeons  when  we 
lived  in  Long  Island  City,  but  had  to  move 
to  New  York  City  and  had  to  do  away  with 
them. 

I  have  a  few  mongrels  on  hand  now  and 
am  experimenting  a  little,  but  as  soon  as  able 
will  send  you  an  order.  It  will  not  be  very 
large,  but  if  your  stock  is  as  good  as  repre- 
sented (like  your  Manual)  it  will  be  all  right. 

I  have  written  to  New  York  markets  for 
prices  and  find  they  are  still  holding  up  good 
and  I  believe  next  year  they  will  go  higher. 
Hoping  you  the  best  of  success. — N.  H.  C., 
Delaware. 


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OTHER  HOMERS  HAVE  NOT  THE 
QUALITY  OF  PLYMOUTH  ROCK.  SQUABS 
WEIGH  FIFTEEN  OUNCES,  FEATHERS 
OFF.  On  December  22,  1906,  I  bought  three 
pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  from 
you,  and  since  then  have  had  considerable 
luck  with  them.  They  are  the  best  pigeons 
for  breeding  as  well  as  for  fancy  I  have  yet 
seen.  I've  seen  other  Homers  similar  i 
those  I  have  but  they  have  not  the  quality 
of  the  Plymouth  Rock.  They  weigh  at  "'.le 
age  of  four  weeks  on  an  average  15  ounces, 
dressed,  and  are  the  finest  pigeons  for  eating 
purposes  that  can  be  had.  When  I  received 
the  pigeons  I  knew  but  very  little  about  them; 
but  after  following  your  Manual  carefully  I 
found  results  as  stated,  and  will  say  it  is 
worth  double  the  amount  I  paid  for  it.  I  also 
made  a  feeder  as  shown  in  your  Manual  and 
think  it  is  the  proper  thing  for  pigeons  as 
there  is  but  very  little  waste  in  feed.  Out  of 
the  three  old  pairs  I  raised  28  squabs,  losing 
but  very  few  during  the  winter.  I  now  have 
six  pairs  left  which  I  am  going  to  keep  for 
breeders.  The  others  I  have  been  selling  to 
friends  here  right  along.  I  get  from  50  to 
75  cents  a  pair  at  the  age  of  two  months.  I 
now  (September,  1907)  have  a  larger  and 
better  place  for  them  and  find  they  are  breed- 
ing a  little  better.  They  require  but  little 
care  and  are  a  great  pleasure  for  pastime. — 
E.  W.,  Missouri. 

NINE  HATCHES  IN  TEN  MONTHS  IN 
BRITISH  COLUMBIA.  WOMAN  HAS  NOT 
LOST  A  BIRD,  OR  HAD  ONE  SICK.  Please 
find  enclosed  the  sum  of  $2.90  postal  note 
for  which  send  me  three  dozen  of  your  wood- 
fibre  nestbowls  by  Dominion  Express  Co. 
Also  if  you  would  send  me  your  price  list  I 
should  be  greatly  obliged.  I  am  quite  well 
satisfied  that  your  pigeons  are  all  that  you 
claim  for  them  as  to  breeding  qualities.  I 
have  one  pair  of  the  eight  you  sent  me  last 
May  which  have  had  nine  hatches  in  ten 
months,  and  the  others  were  never  far 
behind  them,  and  now  I  have  quite  a  number 
of  the  young  ones  mated  up  and  raising 
young.  For  a  fine  appearance  I  do  not  think 
there  is  anything  in  pigeons  could  beat  them. 
Have  followed  the  directions  in  your  book 

fnd  I  have  not  lost  one  bird  or  had  one  sick, 
quite  expected  to  have  sent  you  an  order 
for  more  breeders  before  now,  but  I  have  had 
my  husband  sick  a  great  deal  this  winter 
and  funds  would  not  permit  of  it,  but  I  hope 
to  send  you  one  before  long. — Mrs.  A.  0., 
British  Columbia. 

EVERY  PAIR  HAS  EITHER  EGGS  OR 
SQUABS  IN  CALIFORNIA.  I  am  more  than 
pleased  with  the  way  my  birds  are  turning 
out  the  squabs  and  intend  placing  an  order 
for  more  breeding  stock  soon.  Every  pair 
has  either  eggs  or  squabs  and  some  have  both. 
— I.  L.  T.,  California. 


EARNING  POWER  OF  SMALL  FLOCK 
INCREASING  AT  NO  EXPENSE.  We  re- 
ceived oar  birds  March  24,  1907.  We  had 
25  pairs.  They  started  to  work  in  about 
three  weeks  and  we  had  the  first  squabs 
about  the  10th  of  May. 

We  have  now  (November  7,  1907)  120 
young  birds,  and  of  these  young  birds  we 
have  five  pairs  that  are  working.  Two  pairs 
"  have  already  had  young  ones.  Our  entire 
expense  for  feed  to  date  has  been  $36.52. 

Our  expense  for  fitting  up  has  been  $140, 
not  including  price  of  birds.  We  figure  that 
we  have  not  made  any  money  this  year,  and 
still  we  have  not  lost  any,  and  think  with 
more  birds  and  a  better  knowledge  of  the 
business  there  would  be  good  money  in  it. — 
F.  E.  B.,  Connecticut. 


SQUABS  TWELVE  DAYS  OLD. 

POSTMASTER'S  GOOD  PROGRESS  IN 
TWELVE  MONTHS.  I  felt  like  it  was  my 
duty  to  write  you  a  few  lines.  Just  one  year 
ago  to  day  since  I  received  my  birds  from 
you,  seven  pairs  Plymouth  Rock  Homers. 
I  now  have  18  squabs,  and  40  birds  that  can 
fly  around  in  the  pen.  That  makes  58  in  all. 
I  think  that  is  doing  remarkably  well  for  12 
months'  time.  I  am  also  trying  to  raise 
poultry.  I  have  a  fine  place  here  for  that 
purpose  and  thought  that  I  could  attend  to 
that  between  times.  I  am  postmaster  here. 
After  I  get  started  and  there  is  good  money 
in  it,  I  will  sell  out  my  store  and  do  nothing 
else  but  raise  squabs  and  poultry. — F.  L.  H., 
Illinois. 

USED  GRAPE-VINE  STICKS  FOR  NEST- 
ING MATERIAL.  The  pigeons  bought  are 
doing  well.  The  flying  pen  is  covered  with 
grape  vines.  I  neglected  to  put  in  any 
nesting  material.  All  the  pigeons  have 
squabs,  so  they  used  great  grapevine  sticks, 
some  as  large  as  my  finger. — W.  E.,  Massa- 
chusetts. 


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STRONG  MATINGS  LAST  TO  THE  STATE 
OF  WASHINGTON  AND  SEVEN  PAIRS  OUT 
OF  FOURTEEN  HAVE  EGGS  WITHIN  TWO 
WEEKS,  REST  DRIVING.  Received  your 
shipment  of  14  pairs  of  Homers  about  two 
weeks  ago.  There  are  seven  pairs  of  them 
on  eggs  today  and  the  rest  are  all  driving. 
They  were  all  in  first-class  condition  except 
one  cock,  which  seemed  to  have  had  his  neck 
hurt,  as  he  could  not  hold  his  head  up  nor 
eat  anything,  and  he  died.  Thank  you  for 

Sjur  promptness  and  the  two  pairs  free. — 
.  G.  M.,  State  of  Washington. 

VERY  SUCCESSFUL  WISHES  TO  BUY 
MORE.  Could  you  tell  us  of  a  place  where 
we  could  sell  our  pigeon  manure?  We  have 
some  four  or  five  bushels.  We  have  been 
very  successful  with  our  Homers.  Starting 
with  12,  we  now  have  about  60  or  70.  We 
want  to  buy  some  more  breeders. — G.  P., 
Missouri. 


SQUABS  A  FEW  DAYS  OLD. 

KENTUCKY  WOMAN'S  SUCCESS  WITH 
FAST-BREEDING  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS. 

About  18  months  ago  we  purchased  from  you 
six  pairs  of  your  Extra  mated  Homers,  each 
pair  a  different  color.  These  birds  have  done 
extra  r  ood  work  for  us  and  have  been  more 
than  satisfactory  in  every  way.  We  have  on 
hand  now  about  50  mated  birds  and  about 
100  youngsters;  some  of  which  ought  soon  to 
mate.  The  birds  are  all  in  good  condition, 
moulting,  but  in  spite  of  that  some  are  still 
at  work.— Mrs.  C.  P.  M.,  Kentucky. 

ALL  MATED.  QUICK  IN  GETTING  TO 
WORK  IN  DISTANT  TEXAS.  The  pige9ns 
that  I  got  from  you  last  Thursday  are  getting 
along  just  fine.  Two  pairs  have  nests  and 
as  far  as  I  can  see  they  are  all  mated.  The 
Extra  hens,  it  took  them  just  about  a  week, 
which  is  fine.  The  Wells  Fargo  would  not 
ship  the  crate  cclle^  on  delivery,  so  I  paid 
them  ten  cents  for  shipping.  I  am  well 
pleased  with  the  birds.— G.  J.  W.,  Texas. 


SQUABS  TWICE  AS  LARGE  AS  THOSE 
FROM  HOMERS  FROM  ORDINARY 
SOURCES.  My  birds  purchased  of  you  have 
been  doing  splendidly,  under  rather  adverse 
circumstances  because  of  the  lack  of  care 
occasioned  by  my  constant  absence  from 
home.  Since  entering  into  the  business,  I 
have  taken  special  note  of  different  pens  in 
various  parts  of  the  State,  of  pigeons  pur- 
chased elsewhere,  and  find  to  my  entire 
satisfaction  that  none  are  as  fine  or  finer  than 
my  birds.  I  have  been  unable  to  keep  an 
exact  tab  on  the  rate  at  which  they  breed 
but  I  notice  that  certain  pairs  exceed  others 
in  this  capacity  and  have  been  exceedingly 
satisfactory. 

As  to  size* of  squabs,  I  can  best  tell  you  in 
the  words  of  one  of  my  customers  upon  her 
first  purchase :  *  Why,'  Mr.  Cantey,  I  never 
saw  such  large,  fat  things  in  my  life.  I  had 
to  stuff  and  bake  them,  instead  of  broiling. 
They  are  twice  as  large  as  any  I  have  been 
getting  elsewhere.  I  wouldn't  mind  if  they 
were  smaller."  This  is  her  unvarnished 
statement.  I  will  send  you  a  photograph  of 
my  pen  in  a  few  days. — H.  C.,  South  Carolina. 

OUR  MATED  PAIRS  GO  RIGHT  TO  WORK 
IN  KANSAS.  I  have  delayed  writing  in  order 
to  see  how  the  birds  were  going  to  turn  out. 
Can  say  that  I  am  very  much  pleased  with 
them.  They  were  delayed  in  Junction  City 
from  Saturday  until  Monday,  but  arrived 
in  good  shape.  One  male  had  its  eyes 
pecked  until  it  couldn't  see,  but  I  took  it  out 
and  bathed  the  swelling  and  it  was  all  O.K. 
in  a  few  days.  I  have  four  eggs  and  three 
more  nests  are  being  built,  so  you  see  they 
are  going  right  to  work.  I  have  them  so 
tame  that  I  can  hardly  keep  from  stepping 
on  them  when  I  go  into  the  house.  I  will 
probably  want  more  the  first  of  the  year  and 
if  I  do  I  will  certainly  order  from  you. — 
C.  E.  T.,  Kansas. 

VIRGINIA  CUSTOMER  A  STEADY 
BUYER.  I  enclose  check  for  ten  pairs  blue 
and  blue  checker  breeding  pigeons.  Ship  per 
Adams  Express  to  me.  I  intend  to  order  in 
lots  until  I  have  300  pairs.  My  old  birds 
are  doing  well.  I  now  have  18  pairs  including 
squabs. — H.  T.  I.,  Virginia.  (This  customer's 
first  purchase  was  eight  pairs,  shipped  in 
June,  1907.  At  this  writing,  November. 
1907,  he  has  sent  in  four  more  orders.  His 
wife  gave  him  a  birthday  surprise  by  ordering 
20  pairs  which  we  shipped  so  that  they 
reached  him  on  his  anniversary.) 

NO  SUBSTITUTES  WANTED,  BUT  SOME- 
THING JUST  AS  GOOD.  I  want  to  make 
another  order  by  the  25th  of  this  month 
(October,  1907).  The  last  pigeons  you 
shipped  me  were  beauties  and  I  would  like 
to  have  some  more  just  as  good. — C.  O., 
Alabama. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMORS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUA)  COMPANY 

224 


1907 


MORE    STORIES   OF    SUCCESS 


1908 


BIRDS  WELL-MATED,  WENT  TO  WORK 
AT  ONCE.  ONE  OF  HER  SQUABS 
WEIGHED  ONE  AND  ONE-HALF  POUNDS. 
HER  HOUSE  WAS  ON  THE  GROUND  AND 
RATS  GOT  AT  THE  SQUABS.  I  bought  my 
first  pigeons  of  you  and  put  them  in  my 
house  on  March  21,  1907.  They  were  in  fine 
shape  and  eyery  one  thought  them  the 
handsomest  birds  they  had  ever  seen.  I  had 
25  pairs.  I  think  my  first  squab  hatched 
April  21,  and  about  all  the  birds  were  at 
work  then,  I  think.  I  had  my  first  two 
squabs  on  my  own  table  and  one  of  them 
when  all  'dressed  ready  for  baking  weighed 
one  pound  and  a  half.  Can  any  one  beat 
that?  I  have  not  kept  account  of  the 
number  I  have  sold,  but  could  have  made 
a  good  thing  of  it  if  the  rats  had  not  got  in. 
I  sell  them  here  in  Scituate  to  the  butcher 
for  20  cents  apiece.  While  I  was  away  this 
summer  the  one  that  took  care  of  my  birds 
for  me  sold  a  number  of  pairs  of  squabs  to 
breed  from  for  50  cents  a  pair.  I  shall  sell 
no  more  at  that  price.  I  have  followed  your 
Manual  as  nearly  as  I  could  ir  regard  to 
feeding  the  birds  and  find  my  birds  are  big 
and  fat  and  I  have  not  had  one  sick  one 
among  them  all.  Neither  have  I  been 
troubled  with  lice.  When  I  came  home  this 
September  I  took  account  of  stock  and  found 
that  I  had  iust  16  pairs  of  birds  left.  You 
see  the  rats  did  us  great  harm,  but  we  had  the 
house  raised  and  now  I  am  sending  for  ten 
pairs  more  of  the  Extra  Homers  and  hope 
to  make  a  good  thing  of  the  squab  business 
after  this.  I  shall  keep  an  exact  account  of 
all  my  birds.  There  are  a  number  of  people 
around  here  that  keep  pigeons,  but  I  think 
mine  are  the  best  birds  of  them  all.  Those 
that  see  mine  want  to  have  birds  of  the  same 
kind.  I  think  you  will  have  some  orders  soon 
if  you  have  not  done  so  already  from  some 
that  have  seen  mine  and  want  birds  like 
them.  I  got  my  birds  to  make  money  with 
and  I  am  going  to  do  it  if  it  is  to  be  done. 
And  I  am  sure  it  is.  I  think  your  Manual  is 
a  fine  thing  to  have  if  one  is  going  to  do  any- 
thing in  the  squab  business.  When  I  want 
to  know  anything  about  the  business  I 
always  look  in  the  Manual  and  I  can  most 
always  find  my  answer.  I  should  not  want 
to  get  along  without  the  book. 

Enclosed  please  find  post-office  money  order 
for  the  ten  pairs  of  Extra  Homers  and  other 
goods  I  sent  for.  I  wish  to  thank  you  for 
the  extra  pair  of  birds  you  so  kindly  offer  to 
send.  I  hope  to  send  for  more  birds  before 
many  months  if  these  do  well.  I  took  a 
picture  of  my  pen  with  some  of  the  birds  in 
it  to-day,  and  if  good  will  send  you  one. — 
Mrs.  J.  H.  H.,  Massachusetts. 

Note.  Rats  burrow  in  the  dirt  and  raise 
their  families  in  these  holes.  When  the  floor 
of  the  squab-house  is  on  the  ground,  the  rats 
breed  out  of  sight  and  out  of  reach,  then  they 


get  into  the  squab-house  quickly.  As  we 
say  in  the  Manual,  the  floor  of  the  squab- 
house  must  be  elevated  two  feet,  then  there 
will  be  no  rats,  for  they  will  not  start  breeding 
in  the  open  air  under  such  a  house. 

LOST  ONLY  ONE  OLD  BIRD  AND  ONE 
SQUAB  IN  FIVE  MONTHS'  BREEDING  IN 
MISSISSIPPI.  Please  let  me  know  what 
you  will  let  me  have  about  four  pairs  of  first- 
class  pigeons  for.  My  pigeons  are  doing 
finely.  I  have  16  now  (September,  1907), 
iust  twice  the  number  I  bought  of  you  in 
April.  I  have  lost  one  of  the  old  ones  and  one 
of  the  squabs.  I  have  enlarged  my  quarters 
and  want  to  enlarge  my  flock  somewhat. 
I  have  one  pair  setting  and  two  pairs  have 
iust  raised  a  pair  each  and  are  ready  for 
business  — C.  A.  Mississippi. 


NEST  OF  TOBACCO  STEMS. 
Some  birds  build  a  neat,  compact  nest  like  the  above, 
and  like  tobacco- stems  to  work  with. 

GENEROUS  AND  HONORABLE  DEAL- 
INGS. I  received  to-day  by  mail  a  leg-band 
outfit  complete,  with  which  I  am  very  much 
pleased,  and  wish  to  thank  you  very  much 
for  same.  If  at  any  time  I  can  do  anything 
for  you,  don't  hesitate  to  acquaint  me  of  it, 
as  I  would  like  to  show  my  appreciation  for 
your  generous  and  honorable  dealings  with 
me.  My  pigeons  are  all  doing  finely  and  I 
have  quite  a  bunch  of  fine  young  birds. 
Thanking  you  again  for  your  kindness  and 
extraordinary  promptness. — W.  G.,  New 
Jersey. 

SICK  BIRD  REPLACED.  I  received  your 
postal  today  and.  was  agreeably  surprised  to 
hear  that  you  are  willing  to  replace  our  siok 
bird.  I  hardly  expected  to  receive  such 
honest  treatment.  It  is  a  relief  to  find  an 
honest  man  these  days.  That  bird  we  wish 
to  replace  is  a  hen.  All  the  other  birds 
are  getting  along  finely. — F.A.,  Massachusetts. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK    SQUAB    COMPANY 

225 


1907 


MORE    STORIES  OF    SUCCESS 


1908 


RAPID  BREEDING.  CONTENTED  MIND 
AND  A  CLEAR  RECOMMENDATION  FOR 
PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS.  This  is  the 
first  time  I  have  had  occasion  to  write  you  a 
for  a  year,  so  here  it  is  briefly.  Being  a 
business  man  myself,  I  know  the  value  of 
time.  I  put  21  pairs  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 
in  loft  August  6,  1906.  Have  sold  and  eaten 
ten  and  one-half  dozen  squabs.  Have  on 
hand  to-day,  October  8,  1907,  80  pairs  mated 
breeders  and  near  the  end  of  the  moulting 
season.  I  have  about  a  dozen  not  ready  for 
market  and  about  a  dozen  pairs  o_f  eggs, 
divided  between  two  lofts,  40  pairs  in  each 
and  outside  of  fear  of  rats.  I  have  a  contented 
mind  and  a  clear  recommend  for  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers. — W.  T.  P.,  Ohio. 


RAISED  FROM  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  EXTRAS. 
In  sending  the  above  picture  he  writes:  "The 
parents  I  got  from  you.  I  refused  ten  dollars  a  pair 
for  one  pair  this  winter.  I  have  seen  several  large 
squab  ranches  in  Delaware  but  on  all  of  them  I  never 
saw  any  birds  that  could  throw  such  birds  as  those 
sold  by  you." 

MONTANA  MAN  LIKES  OUR  STYLE  OF 
DOING  BUSINESS.  Received  your  notice 
of  shipment  of  birds  yesterday  (Sunday  29) 
and  received  the  four  pairs  of  fine  Extra 
Homers  to-day  (30th)  all  in  good  shape. 
They  are  all  fine  birds  and  we  are  much 
pleased  with  them.  It  was  very  kind  and 
generous  of  you  people  to  send  an  extra  pair 
free  of  charge,  and  also  drinker  and  bowls 
as  we  did  not  expect  either.  If  this 'our  first 
venture  proves  successful,  you  can  rest 
assured  you  shall  hear  from  us  again.  I  like 
your  style  of  doing  business. — H.  S.  C., 
Montana. 

A  TREAT  TO  BE  TREATED  WELL.     The 

eleven  pairs  of  birds  (second  order)  arrived 
here  yesterday  and  all  in  first-class  condition. 
I  shall  place  another  ordei  shortly,  as  I  have 
to  complete  the  buildings,  and  I  am  highly 
pleased  at  the  manner  your  firm  does  business. 
It  is  a  treat  to  know  that  one's  order  is  filled 
satisfactorily. — J.  N.,  Virginia. 


SQUABS  SOLD  TO  HOTEL  FOR  FIFTY 
CENTS  A  PAIR  IN  KENTUCKY.  I  received 
your  shipment  of  six  pairs  of  Extra  Homers, 
all  in  good  condition;  thank  you  for  the  Extra 
hen.  This  was  the  finest  lot  of  Homers  I  ever 
saw  in  size  and  plumage,  which  is  so  uniform 
that  it  is  hard  to  tell  one  from  the  other.  I 
will  send  for  another  order  some  time  next 
month.  I  sold  three  pairs  of  squabs  this 
morning  at  50  cents  per  pair  to  the  hotel, 
and  they  say  that  my  squabs  are  fine.  (Later.) 
Find  enclosed  money  order  for  which  send  me 
six  pairs  of  your  Extra  nest-mated  Homers, 
checkered  and  uniform  in  plumage.  Every 
pair  I  have  are  working  and  some  have  two 
nests;  one  has  three  young  squabs,  which  I 
think  is  unusual. — A.  H.,  Kentucky. 

FIVE  YEARS  OF  SUCCESS  BY  A  NEW 
YORK  STATE  WOMAN.  In  October  of 
1902  i  sent  you  a  check  for  $102.75  for 
pigeons.  My  pigeons  have  done  very  well. 
I  ship  to  New  York  each  week.  I  have  just 
been  reading  your  new  squab  book  of  1907 
and  would  very  much  like  the  address  of  the 
firm  you  quote  in  appendix  on  page  141  and 
top  first  column  page  143.  Kindly  send  it 
to  me  thereby  helping  an  old  customer. 
Also  kindly  send  me  price  of  the  new  drinking 
fountain  spoken  of  in  your  Manual.  I  need 
three  new  ones  and  if  satisfactory  as  to  price 
will  buy  of  you.— Miss  O.  W.,  New  York. 

STOCK  DOUBLED  IN  MOULTING  SEA- 
SON. We  have  sent  you  to-day  an  order  for 
grain  for  which  we  hope  you  will  send  as  soon 
as  possible.  We  bought  stock  from  you 
several  times,  the  first  order  sent  in  about 
June  1.  Since  that  time  (three  months)  the 
stock  has  doubled.  We  expect  to  place  a 
large  order  in  the  spring  along  about  March. 
We  have  about  75  birds  in  stock  at  present 
and  started  with  a  stock  of  32.  We  shall 
have  to  have  a  few  white  birds  in  oar  next 
order.  What  is  the  price  of  the  white  stock 
at  present?  Hoping  you  will  send  us  the 
grain  soon. — C.  &  F.,  Massachusetts. 

FAST  NESTING  BY  MATED  PAIRS  IN 
TEXAS.  My  birds  received  August  10  and 
turned  into  pen;  the  17th  they  were  building 
their  nests,  making  sever,  days  from  arrival — 
all  the  birds  in  good  shape.  One  did  not  fly 
on  perch  for  about  two  minutes,  but  after  this 
time  have  nothing  wrong  with  them.  They 
have  certainly  proven  all  that  you  have  recom- 
mended of  them  and  as  to  nesting  have  beaten 
your  figures  quite  a  bit.  Thanking  you  for 
your  extra  favor,  will  do  more  business  as 
soon  as  I  locate  where  I  will  make  my  squab 
farm. — G.  R.,  Texas. 

MANUAL  WORTH  TEN  DOLLARS.  I  am 

very  much  pleased  with  your  Manual  and 
think  it  worth  $10.  I  shall  send  you  an  order 
for  breeding  stock  some  time  this  month, 
and  grain  and  supplies,  just  as  quick  as  I  can 
get  my  house  built. — T.  H.,  Massachusetts. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB   COMPANY 

226 


APPENDIX  E 


(.Copyright,  1908,  by  Elmer  C.  Rice.) 


(Above  pictures  copyright,  1907,  by  Elmer  C.  Rice.) 


CARNEAUX.     BIG,  RED  PIGEONS. 

The  Carneau  (pronounced  car-no;  plural  Carneaux,  pronounced  the  same)  breed  is  new  to  this 
country.  These  pigeons  are  larger  than  the  Homers  and  breed  squabs  weighing  over  a  pound 
apiece.  Plumage  almost  invariably  copper  red  (rare  specimens  yellow)  splashed  a  little  with 
white;  long  body;  broad  breast;  shape  of  head  and  body,  and  poise  of  body,  different  from 
other  varieties;  quiet  disposition,  not  so  timid  as  other  breeds;  meat  of  squabs  uncommonly 
white;  have  no  homing  qualities;  they  may  be  allowed  to  fly,  if  desired,  after  a  fortnight's  con- 
finement, will  stay  around  the  place  where  they  are  fed,  will  not  try  to  fly  back  to  place  where 
bred;  feed  their  young  steadily  and  well;  breed  nine  to  ten  pairs  of  squabs  per  year;  are  housed, 
fed  and  handled  same  as  Homers;  strong,  rugged  build.  The  above  pictures  give  a  very  good 
idea  of  this  variety.  A  customer  in  Greens  burg,  Penn.,  writes:  "  This  is  the  first  time  in  my 
life  to  receive  a  circular  picturing  anything  which  gave  a  true  picture;  your  picture  is  true  to 
life  in  every  detail.  Everybody  who  sees  my  Carneaux  is  greatly  taken  with  them.  In  every 
way  they  are  doing  splendidly." 

I  spent  several  months  in  Europe  in  1906,  partly  to  study  in  their  home  the 
Carneaux  pigeons,  which  then  were  just  becoming  known  in  America  and 
were  recommended  in  sensational  terms.  It  was  my  purpose  to  see  the 
evidence  at  first  hand  and  find  out  if  the  claims  were  founded  on  fact.  My 
investigations  were  favorable  to  this  breed  but  I  have  waited  two  years  to 
see  how  the  birds  would  breed  in  our  own  lofts  and  in  the  lofts  of  customers. 
At  this  writing  we  have  sold  about  a  thousand  pairs  of  Carneaux  and  orders 
for  more  are  coming  in  fast.  Previous  to  our  importing  this  breed,  there  were 
about  600  pairs  of  Carneaux  in  America. 

In  our  long  experience  with  pigeons,  we  have  never  known  such  a  demand 

227 


228          NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

as  there  is  for  Carneaux.  Six  dollars  a  pair  may  be  obtained  by  anybody  who 
has  the  breeders  for  sale.  Youngsters  weaned  and  able  to  stand  shipment 
sell  for  three  dollars  a  pair.  The  squabs  sell  alive  for  ten  dollars  to  twelve 
dollars  a  dozen.  It  costs  no  more  to  feed  and  raise  these  birds  than  other 
pigeons.  The  selling  price  both  for  squabs  and  breeders  being  so  much 
larger,  that  is  why  the  profit  is  larger.  On  account  of  the  tremendous  demand 
for  these  birds  for  breeders,  nobody  is  selling  the  squabs  from  them  killed,  but 
if  they  ever  get  so  numerous  that  squabs  are  marketed  from  them,  the  price 
will  be  the  very  top  notch. 

This  breed  has  been  developed  by  the  pigeon  breeders  of  Belgium.  There 
are  some  Carneaux  in  France  and  Germany,  but  they  are  inferior  in  size  and 
beauty  to  the  Belgian  birds,  and  few  in  number. 

They  are  not  very  plentiful  in  Belgium.  We  have  made  arrangements  for 
the  output  of  all  the  adult,  perfect  pairs  of  Carneaux  the  breeders  of  Belgium 
can  furnish,  fit  for  breeding,  but  so  far  they  have  not  been  able  to  furnish  us 
more  than  200  pairs  a  month,  so  scarce  are  the  birds.  We  hope  to  get  more 
from  them.  We  have  saved  out  500  pairs  Carneaux  and  are  breeding  them  at 
our  farm.  We  can  supply  Carneaux  imported  by  us,  or  (in  limited  number) 
bred  by  us  from  birds  of  our  importation. 

Why  is  the  demand  for  Carneaux  so  much  greater  than  the  supply  ?  Just 
this:  They  eat  no  more  than  Homers,  but  breed  faster,  and  breed  bigger 
squabs. 

In  other  words,  they  not  only  produce  more  squabs  than  the  Homers,  but 
the  squabs  bring  at  least  one-third  more  money.  The  breeder  making  a 
profit  from  Homers  will  make  more  than  double  his  profits  with  Carneaux. 

For  years,  the  study  has  been  to  .produce  a  pigeon  larger  than  the  Homer 
which  would  breed  faster  than  the  Homer.  This  has  been  accomplished  in  the 
Carneaux.  We  know  it  by  our  own  investigation  and  actual  breeding  of  this 
variety,  and  we  know  it  by  the  experiences  of  our  customers. 

The  big  breeds,  all  of  which  we  have  tried,  such  as  Runts,  Maltese,  Italians 
(personally  selected  in  Italy),  breed  big  squabs,  but  they  breed  with  exasperat- 
ing slowness.  Crossed  with  Homers,  the  rate  of  breeding  is  improved,  but 
the  squabs  are  no  larger  than  from  our  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  so  it  is 
far  better  to  breed  the  straight  Extra  Homers. 

The  Carneaux  breed  squabs  weighing  a  pound  or  more  apiece  and  they 
breed  nine  pairs  to  ten  pairs  of  squabs  a  year.  For  these  two  reasons,  we 
believe  that  the  Carneaux  will  displace  the  Homers  in  time.  It  will  take 
many  years  because  the  Homers  have  a  strong  hold  now  and  the  Carneaux  are 
scarce.  Nevertheless,  the  cash  returns  from  squabs  weighing  12  pounds  and 
14  pounds  to  the  dozen  give  a  great  profit  to  the  breeder,  and  profits  are  what 
all  squab  breeders  are  after. 

Any  one  who  has  both  Homers  and  Carneaux  can  get  in  a  year  from  each 

Eair  of  Carneaux  15  or  more  pairs  of  squabs.     Theoretically  this  is  impossible 
3r  any  pigeons.     However,  the  Carneaux  have  help  from  the  Homers.    Just 
how  this  done  is  fully  explained  by  us  at  the  end  of  this  article  in  the  para- 
graph headed,  "  How  to  Breed  Fifteen  Pairs  of  Squabs  from  One  Pair  of  Car- 
neaux in  One  Year." 

One  of  our  customers,  a  Southern  gentleman,  visited  our  farm  in  the  fall  of 
1906  He  liked  the  looks  of  the  Carneaux  and  on  returning  home  later  sent 
for  three  pairs,  which  we  shipped  him  December  26,  1906.  On  February  13, 
1907,  he  wrote  us  asking  how  many  pairs  we  could  give  him.  He  took  all  we 
could  then  supply  at  $6.00  a  pair,  giving  the  following  endorsement  of  his  first 


APPENDIX  E  229 

purchase:  "  The  three  pairs  I  got  December  28  have  raised  six  squabs  and 
are  setting  again  (February  20),  and  I  have  not  had  them  60  days  yet.  So 
far  they  beat  the  Homers."  Under  date  of  April  29,  he  wrote  us.  "  I  have 
now,  in  my  lofts,  between  800  and  900  birds.  Have  Maltese,  Mondaines, 
Carneaux  and  Homers,  but  the  Carneau  is  the  favorite  bird  with  every- 
body that  sees  them.  Have  nearly  100  of  these  now  and  they  are  very  rapid 
breeders,  raising  squabs  that  weigh  from  one  to  one  and  one-half  pounds  each. 
Have  not  sold  any  yet,  but  have  enough  orders  on  hand  for  them,  at  $6.00  a 
pair,  to  take  all  that  I  can  raise  for  some  time  to  come.  Think  at  the  present 
rate  I  can  get  eight  to  ten  pairs  a  year  from  them."  Under  date  of  December 
13,  1907,  he  wrote  us  as  follows:  "  I  have  now  something  over  100  pairs  of 
Carneaux.  Have  sold  a  few  pairs  and  could  have  sold  many  more,  but 
wanted  my  stock  to  accumulate  and  get  as  many  breeders  on  hand  as  pos- 
sible. They  are  the  best  birds  for  squab  raising  that  I  have  ever  seen,  and  I 
believe  I  have  seen  them  all.  They  breed  faster,  eat  less,  are  hardier,  better 
setters  and  feeders,  and  gentler  than  any  of  the  other  breeds,  and  for  beauty 
they  are  unsurpassed.  I  have  all  told  now  about  3000  birds  in  my  lofts. 
Have  been  very  successful  with  my  plant  so  far.  May  want  some  more 
Carneaux  from  you  later  on." 

A  customer  in  Missouri  bought  four  pairs  of  Carneaux  and  liked  them  well 
enough  to  buy  six  more  pairs  three  months  later,  saying:  "  I  am  keeping  an 
accurate  record,  which  promises  to  be  something  startling  for  the  year.  Two 
pairs  went  to  work  (laid  eggs)  within  10  days.  The  third  pair  went  to  work  in 
26  days.  The  fourth  hen  was  not  so  well  along  in  the  moult  and  did  not  lay 
until  November  8.  The  average  weight  of  squabs  at  four  weeks  old  has  been 
17.6  ounces,  weighed  without  crops  filled  with  feed.  The  four  pairs  have 
made  nine  nests  in  le^s  than  90  days,  or  a  total  average  production  of  better 
than  nine  pairs  a  year.  The  actual  average  production  is  better  than  this,  of 
course,  as  it  wouldn't  be  fair  to  count  an  average  until  all  birds  are  at  work. 
I  have  found  them  to  be  all  that  is  desirable  in  a  pigeon.  They  are  good 
feeders  and  do  not  use  more  feed  than  the  Homers." 

In  November,  1907,  we  shipped  21  pairs  of  our  Carneaux  to  a  Philadelphia 
breeder,  who  replied:  "  To  say  I  am  pleased,  these  words  do  not  express  it. 
They  are  the  finest  lot  of  birds  I  have  seen  anywhere.  My  friend,  who 
imported  25  pairs  of  Carneaux  some  time  ago  from  Belgium,  is  very  much 
disappointed  with  his  Carneaux  since  he  has  seen  the  shipment  you  sent  me. 
I  shall  endeavor  to  do  all  I  can  for  the  interest  of  your  house  in  the  way  of 
orders.  I  received  the  21  pairs  of  Carneaux  Saturday,  8.30  p.m.  On  Mon- 
day, at  10  o'clock  in  the  morning,  nine  pairs  of  the  birds  sent  had  almost 
completed  nine  nests  in  their  new  home  (in  a  little  over  one  day).  This  seems 
remarkable  to  me  and  I  write  you  these  few  lines  to  get  your  opinion  of  the 
work  they  have  done." 

Other  breeders,  not  our  customers,  who  have  bred  the  Carneaux,  praise 
them  as  follows : 

"They  will  easily  average  three  squabs  a  year  in  excess  of  select  Homers. 
A  conservative  estimate  of  squab  weight  under  favorable  conditions  is  18 
ounces." 

"  They  average  nearly  a  pair  of  squabs  per  month.  For  fancy  and  squab 
producing  qualities,  the  Carneaux  easily  lead  all." 

"  No  question  about  Carneaux.     They  are  it." 

"  I  have  only  two  pairs.  Results  are  so  satisfactory  that  I  am  clearing 
lofts  to  devote  exclusively  to  Carneaux." 


230  NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

"  The  Carneaux  boom  has  struck  this  country  for  fair." 

"  The  Carneaux  exceed  all  others  in  point  of  squab  producing,  not  only  in 
numbers  and  weight,  but  also  in  the  clarity  of  the  skin,  the  palatableness  of 
the  flesh,  and  prolific  nature." 

"  The  consensus  of  opinion  seems  to  be  that  the  Carneaux  will  produce  10 
pairs,  or  20  pounds  of  squabs  per  pair  to  the  year,  while  some  place  the 
average  higher.  Few  place  it  lower." 

"  All  I  have  read  has  been  substantiated  by  my  own  personal  experience. 
Their  yearly  yield  is  from  10  to  11  pairs  of  squabs." 

"  My  experience  with  Carneaux  is  limited  to  two  years.  They  are  great. 
The  Carneaux  will  occupy  the  place  of  honor  in  loft  and  showroom.  Ten 
pairs  of  squabs  is  the  yield  per  year." 

"  I  have  bred  them  two  years.  Carneaux  are  as  superior  to  the  Homer  as 
the  Homer  is  to  the  common  pigeon.  It  is  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception 
for  the  Carneaux  to  produce  nine  pairs  of  white-meated  squabs  a  year  which 
will  average  one  pound  each.  '  My  experience  proves  conclusively  that  they 
will  produce  twice  as  many  pounds  of  squabs  in  a  year  as  the  ordinary  birds 
now  generally  used  as  squab  breeders,  and  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  points 
in  their  favor  is  the  fact  that  the  cost  of  keeping  them  is  no  more." 


A  few  advertisers  of  pigeons  who  live  inland,  not  in  a  seaport  city, 
may  "  run  down  "  imported  pigeons,  saying  they  are  no  good,  culls,  not 
acclimated,  poor  breeders,  and  so  forth,  ad  nauseam.  The  reason  why  these 
soreheads  fret  so  is,  that  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  import  pigeons  success- 
fully. To  do  this  successfully,  steadily,  profitably,  one  must  live  on  the  sea- 
board, close  to  where  the  Antwerp  steamers  come,  and  must  have  a  personal 
acquaintance  with  the  officers  of  the  steamships,  and  see  them  at  every  sail- 
ing, and  pay  them  for  their  work  in  caring  for  the  birds.  The  reason  why 
those  who  decry  imported  pigeons  do  not  sell  them  is  simply  that  they  cannot 
get  them,  or,  if  they  think  they  can  get  them,  they  wish  to  sell  something  in 
which  there  is  a  greater  profit.  We  have  seen  not  much  talk  of  this  kind,  in 
opposition  to  imported  pigeons,  but  it  will  be  indulged  in  more  or  less  as  the 
traffic  in  Carneaux  increases.  The  trade  calling  for  Carneaux  in  America 
must  be  supplied  with  imported  birds  or  go  without  them,  for  nobody  can 
ship  day  by  day,  steadily,  Carneaux  of  his  own  raising.  You  should  be  sure 
and  get  Carneaux  which  have  been  in  this  country  at  least  one  or  two  months, 
and  have  got  their  sea-legs  off,  for  it  is  our  experience  that  the  long  voyage 
results  in  a  goodly  percentage  of  dead  and  injured  birds,  depending  on  the 
weather  and  the  caretakers. 

That  imported  Carneaux  go  to  work  quickly  is  indicated  by  the  letter  of 
the  Philadelphia  gentleman  above  quoted,  nine  pairs  out  of  21  pairs  having 
built  nests  within  two  days  after  delivery  to  him. 

Our  trade  in  Carneaux  is  increasing  every  month  and  we  expect  to  sell 
many  thousand  pairs  in  1908  and  1909.  We  recommend  them  to  our  cus- 
tomers. We  do  not  wish  anybody  to  take  our  word  for  their  excellence. 


e  say  here  is  true,  after  six  months'  trial,  may  exch 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  at  the  rate  of  three  pairs  of  Homers  for  one  pair  of 
Carneaux. 


APPENDIX  E  231 

HOW  TO  BREED  FIFTEEN  PAIRS  OF  SQUABS  FROM  ONE 
PAIR  OF   CARNEAUX  IN  ONE  YEAR. 

(Copyright,  1908,  by  Elmer  C.  Rice). 

During  the  first  eight  months  of  the  year,  January  to  August,  the 
Carneaux  may  be  robbed  of  their  eggs  twice  a  month  and  they  wiR 
lay  again  about  10  days  later. 

A  pair  of  Carneaux  build  a  nest,  and  the  two  eggs  are  laid.  On 
the  day  they  are  laid  (or  the  second  or  third  day,  if  the  first  day  is  not 
convenient  for  you)  you  take  away  the  two  eggs  from  the  Carneaux 
nest  and  carry  them  in  your  hands  to  the  pen  where  you  have 
Homers  breeding.  You  look  around  in  the  pen  until  you  find  a  nest 
with  Homer  eggs.  You  throw  these  Homer  eggs  away,  putting  in 
their  place  the  two  Carneaux  eggs.  The  Homers  keep  right  on  sit- 
ting and  hatch  out,  not  their  own  eggs,  but  the  two  Carneaux  eggs, 
and  raise  the  two  Carneaux  squabs. 

Meantime,  the  pair  of  Carneaux  from  which  you  took  the  eggs 
wish  more  eggs,  and  within  10  days  to  14  days  the  hen  lays  again. 
Now,  as  you  did  at  first,  you  take  away  these  two  eggs  from  the 
Carneaux  and  put  them  under  Homers. 

Do  not  take  away  the  third  setting  of  eggs  from  the  Carneaux. 
Let  the  eggs  stay  in  the  Carneaux  nest  and  the  Carneaux  will  hatch 
and  raise  them. 

For  example,  a  Carneau  hen  lays  two  eggs  June  1.  Take  them 
away  and  substitute  them  for  the  eggs  in  a  Homer  nest.  The 
Carneau  hen  will  lay  again  June  10  to  June  15.  Take  the  two  eggs 
away  and  substitute  them  for  the  eggs  in  a  Homer  nest.  The  Car- 
neau hen  will  lay  again  June  25  to  July  1 .  This  will  give  you  three 
settings  of  eggs  from  one  pair  in  30  days.  Let  the  Carneaux  raise 
the  third  setting  and  then  repeat  the  process. 

During  the  last  four  months  of  the  year,  take  away  the  eggs  only 
once  and  let  the  female  Carneau  set  on  the  second  pair  of  eggs. 

From  15  pairs  to  18  pairs  of  squabs  from  one  pair  of  Carneaux 
may  be  produced  in  one  year  by  the  above  method.  With  Carneaux 
selling  for  six  dollars  a  pair,  of  course  it  pays  to  use  Homers  to 
increase  the  supply  of  Carneaux.  With  ordinary  success,  in  follow* 
ing  this  method,  the  capacity  of  a  pair  of  Carneaux  may  be  doubled. 

COMMENT  ON  ABOVE. 

We  do  not  think  this  forcing  method  would  have  the  slightest  effect  on  the 
health  of  the  Carneaux.  Hens  and  ducks  lay  a  great  many  more  eggs  than 


232         NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB   BOOK 

pigeons.  It  is  not  much  strain  on  the  female  pigeon  to  lay  four  or  six  eggs 
a  month  instead  of  two.  The  strain  of  production  comes  from  setting  on  the 
eggs  day  after  day,  not  in  laying  the  eggs,  we  should  guess. 

Why  not  take  away  all  the  Carneaux  eggs  and  hatch  them  under  Homers, 
some  may  ask.  We  do  not  believe  in  this,  as  far  too  unnatural.  The  Car- 
neaux should  be  given  an  opportunity  to  raise  the  third  setting,  for  that  is 
what  they  are  striving  for. 

This  method  has  been  tested  thoroughly  with  birds  purchased  from  us  and 
it  works  all  right.  There  is  nothing  far-fetched  about  it.  You  simply  take 
the  eggs  away  and  let  Homers  hatch  them  out.  At  the  same  time,  simple  as 
this  plan  is,  it  has  never  been  published  before,  to  our  knowledge,  nor  has  it 
ever  been  tried  except  by  a  few  breeders  of  our  acquaintance.  It  is  not 
uncommon  for  breeders  of  fancy  pigeons  of  poor  feeding  and  raising  qualities 
to  put  their  eggs  under  Homers,  but  no  motive  for  doubling  the  squab  pro- 
duction from  certain  pigeons  has  ever  existed  until  today,  when  it  is  money 
in  the  breeder's  pocket  to  turn  out  all  the  six-dollar  pairs  of  Carneaux  he  can 
in  the  shortest  space  of  time. 

In  following  the  above  directions  the  breeder  should  realize  that  the 
Carneaux  eggs  must  replace  Homer  eggs  laid  within  two  days  of  the  same 
time,  otherwise  the  bird  milk  of  the  Homers  will  be  too  old  and  thick,  and 
the  young  Carneaux  cannot  assimilate  it  and  may  die. 

(Later.     January  1,  1909.) 

Another  year  of  breeding  and  shipping  the  Carneaux  has  substantiated 
our  opinion  of  them,  and  the  orders  from  customers  have  been  added  proof. 
On  page  229  we  mention  a  Western  customer  who  started  with  four  pairs 
of  our  Carneaux,  then  added  six  pairs.  He  was  so  pleased  with  results  that 
in  1908  he  ordered  30  pairs  more,  then  again  35  pairs,  and  finally  in  November, 
1908,  an  order  for  150  pairs  amounting  to  $900.  No  more  comment  con- 
cerning his  opinion  of  our  Carneaux  is  needed — -his  money  tells  an  eloquent 
story.  This  customer  is  an  experienced  pigeon  breeder. 

From  the  letters  of  other  customers  to  whom  we  sold  Carneaux  in  1908, 
we  make  the  following  extracts.  The  full  letters  are  on  file  at  our  Boston 
office,  where  they  will  be  produced  at  any  time  to  satisfy  anybody  as  to  their 
genuineness : 

Enclosed  find  check  for  $30  for  which  please  send  me  five  pairs  of  your  Carneaux  birds.  I 
bought  one  pair  of  you  some  time  ago  and  am  much  pleased  with  them. 

_Please  ship  me  two  more  pairs  of  Carneaux  as  soon  as  possible.  The  other  two  pairs  you 
shipped  are  doing  nicely. 


ived  from  you  April  25  have  behaved  beautifully  with  the 


I  thought  it  might  interest  you  to  know  how  the  Carneaux  have  done  that  I  bought  of  you 
in  1907.  In  June,  1907,  I  bought  of  you  two  pairs,  in  September  one  pair,  in  December,  1907, 
one  pair,  and  I  now  (December  17,  1908)  have  21  pairs  mated  and  working.  I  have  114  birds 
not  yet  mated,  and  have  sold  $44  worth  of  mated  pairs  and  young  not  mated.  Do  you  not  think 
I  have  done  well  ?  I  find  the  Carneaux  a  most  charming  bird,  very  tame,  and  they  never  leave  the 


APPENDIX  E  233 

nest  when  setting  when  you  approach  them.  They  feed  their  young  fine,  and  raise  squabs  that 
weigh  from  12  to  18  and  20  ounces  at  one  month  old.  I  have  one  pair  of  young  mated  last  Jan- 
uary that  I  have  been  offered  $10  for.  1  find  much  pleasure  in  mating  up  these  birds,  and  I 
think  I  have  got  as  good  foundation  stock  as  I  could  get  anywhere.  The  Carneauz  judge  at  the 
show  told  me  that  one  of  the  hens  purchased  from  you  was  as  good  a  Carneau  hen  as  he  had  ever 
seen.  I  have  one  young  pair  that  have  been  breeding  several  months  and  they  are  averaging 
a  pair  of  squabs  a  month,  and  have  never  lost  a  single  squab.  Their  hatches  are  usually  one  or 
two  days  inside  of  a  month.  My  Carneaux  are  very  fast  breeders,  and  I  find  by  mating  rightly 
I  can  increase  their  speed  in  breeding.  They  are  everlastingly  at  it.  I  have  got  so  much  at- 
tached to  the  Carneaux  that  if  there  was  no  money  in  raising  them  I  still  would  want  a  good 
flock  of  them.  What  could  you  sell  me  100  pairs  for,  and  how.soon  could  you  deliver  them  to  me  ? 

The  birds  which  you  sent  me  on  Monday  arrived  here  Wednesday  at  10  o'clock  in  good 
condition.  The  Carneaux  are  great  and  I  wish  to  thank  you  for  the  extra  Homer  hen.  It  is 
a  dandy.  My  other  two  pairs  of  mated  Homers  have  eggs  now  and  my  first  pair  of  Carneaux 
have  young  ones.  1  am  delighted  as  your  birds  and  dealings  are  first  class.  You  can  be. 
that  I'll  be  writing  for  more  as  soon  as  possible. 

I  have  now  over  150  pairs  of  Carneaux.  Your  birds  (Carneaux)  have  done  well.  I  am  now 
shipping  20  dozen  per  week  and  getting  $4  per  dozen.  If  it  would  keep  up  that  way  all  the 
year  here  (Florida)  I  would  ask  for  no  better  business.  I  shall  be  in  Boston  later  on  in  the  year 
and  will  call  on  you.  I  much  want  to  see  your  Carneaux. 

The  Carneaux  birds  arrived  in  noble  condition.  We  are  very  much  pleased  with  them,  and 
every  one  here  that  has  seen  them  cannot  get  through  talking  about  them.  We  certainly 
appreciate  your  promptness  and  methods  in  doing  business  and  must  say  that  you  dp  more 
than  you  promise  to.  Will  in  a  few  days  write  you  for  more  supplies  that  we  will  be  in  need 
of.  Again  thanking  you  for  the  way  you  have  treated  our  order,  we  can  give  you  our  hearty 
support  in  any  way  that  the  buying  public  may  demand  of  you,  and  you  are  at  liberty  to  use 
this  letter  wherever  it  is  of  any  value  to  you. 

We  received  the  three  pairs  of  Carneaux  April  27.  They  were  in  good  condition,  only  one 
seems  a  little  dull,  but  I  think  it  will  be  all  right.  They  are  the  largest  pigecns  I  ever  saw  and 
are  all  that  you  claim  them  to  be.  When  we  have  room  we  want  to  get  more  from  you.  One  of 
our  neighbors  is  going  to  start  raising  pigeons  and  wants  me  to  sell  him  my  squabs.  I  had  to 
refuse  and  told  him  I  thought  Mr.  Rice  would  furnish  him  with  all  the  birds  he  wants,  so  I  give 
you  his  name. 

My  Carneaux  birds  are  doing  fine,  in  fact,  I  am  more  than  pleased  with  them.  I  have  had 
ten  s'ettings  and  have  just  weighed  a  squab  at  one  week  old  and  it  weighed  a  pound.  We  could 
hardly  believe  our  eyes,  but  it  is  true.  I  am  delighted  with  them.  Any  time  I  can  help  you  in 
any  way  in  regard  to  using  my  name  you  are  welcome  in  regard  to  your  Carneaux,  as  w_e  think 
they  are  the  only  kind  of  pigeons  to  raise  and  we  will  get  rid  of  all  our  Homers  and  raise  only 
Carneaux. 

I  have  been  so  very  busy  with  Carneaux,  chickens,  hens,  etc.,  that  I  have  found  no  time  to 
write  before.  I  think  the  birds  are  very  handsome  and  on  May  8,  every  pair  (16)  had  nests 
and  eggs.  I  expect  they  will  begin  to  hatch  the  first  young  ones  about  May  14,  tomorrow. 

I  would  like  to  ask  you  whether  you  have  three  pairs  of  Carneaux  mated,  as  I  am  very  much 
pleased  with  my  first  pair.  They  are  all  you  claim  them  to  be  in  size  and  have  just  finished 
building  their  nest. 

The  Carneaux  arrived  all  O.K.  on  the  12th.  Yesterday  four  of  them  built  nests  and  kid 
one  egg  each.  I  call  this  fast  work.  Accept  my  thanks  for  quality  of  birds. 

Some  months  ago  I  wrote  you  in  regard  to  the  pair  of  solid  red  Carneaux  which  I  purchased 
of  you  last  December  to  show  at  the  Rochester  Pigeon  Show  last  January.  The  cock  took  first 
prize  and  the  hen  second  prize.  My  Carneaux  are  doing  fine  and  I  find  much  in  them  that  is 
very  interesting.  I  have  raised  a  fine  lot  of  young  Carneaux  this  year  and  they  are  all  from 
your  stock.  My  squab  Homers  are  doing  fine  and  I  still  have  every  one  of  the  original  12  pairs 
I  purchased  of  you  November  9,  1904,  and  they  are  all  working  right  along. 

I  have  received  your  Carneauz  in  fine  shape,  and  they  are  as  fine  birds  as  I  have.  I  am  very 
much  pleased  with  them. 

I  wish  to  say  that  the  four  pairs  of  Carneauz  my  brother  got  of  you  last  November  have  raised 
16  fine  birds. 


234        NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB   BOOK 

I  am  more  than  pleased  with  the  pair  of  Carneaux  which  I  got  from  you  and  send  another 
order  for  two  more  pairs.  I  have  the  finest  Homers  I  have  ever  seen  but  they  look  very  small 
beside  the  Carneaux  and  if  the  Carneaux  breed  well  I  will  send  for  more  orders. 

I  am  very  much  pleased  with  my  Carneaux  and  will  be  glad  to  send  you  photographs  as  soon 
as  I  get  some.  I  had  the  address  of  a  man  in  this  State  who  claims  to  be  an  importer  and 
breeder  of  Carneaux  and  Homer  pigeons.  I  wrote  him  for  a  price  on  red,  and  red  and  white 
birds,  just  in  those  words,  and  he  said,  yes,  he  had  just  what  I  wanted  at  $2.50  each,  three  for 
$6,  and  he  would  make  a  personal  selection  of  the  birds,  which  were  second  prize  winners 
But  you  ought  to  have  seen  the  birds  he  sent  me,  not  near  as  good  as  my  own.  I  returned 
them  to  him,  but  he  said  they  were  just  what  I  ordered  and  that  1  expected  to  get  show  birds 
under  the  pretence  of  ordering  breeding  birds,  also  he  did  not  ship  birds  on  approval  at  this 
time  of  year.  He  had  the  advantage  as  he  held  my  money.  He  said  show  birds  demanded  a 
big  price.  He  refused  a  price  of  $150  for  one  bird  in  his  exhibit  at  State  Fair.  Now,  I  saw 
those  Carneaux  and  they  were  no  better  than  some  of  mine.  One  of  the  pairs  I  bought  from 
you  last  Spring  throw  some  elegant  birds.  As  I  am  an  amateur  I  suppose  I  must  learn  that  all 
pigeon  dealers  are  not  white.  I  had  no  idea  of  showing  my  birds,  but  as  this  dealer  seemed  to 
be  afraid  I  would,  I  think  it  would  be  a  good  idea  to  go  in  and  show  him  that  "  there  are  others." 
If  I  have  as  good  luck  next  season  as  I  have  this  year,  I  think  I  can  do  it.  Three  of  the  females 
are  from  this  best  pair  I  mentioned.  All  three  pairs  hatched  seven  pairs  young,  working  right 
through  the  moult. 

The  shipment  of  Carneaux  arrived  just  a  month  ago  and  is  very  satisfactory.  Nine  of  the 
ten  pairs  are  mated,  and  seven  have  squabs.  The  birds  arrived  several  days  before  the  nappies, 
but  they  adapted  themselves  to  circumstances.  One  pair  nested  in  a  grit  box,  another  pair 
in  the  oyster-shell  box  and  three  pairs  on  the  floor.  The  nest  bowls  arrived  just  in  time  to 
save  the  drinking  fountain. 

The  pair  of  Carneaux  received  in  good  shape,  and  am  well  pleased  with  them.  Think  they 
will  soon  be  at  work,  have  commenced  to  drive.  Will  want  another  pair  in  a  few  weeks.  Every 
one  that  has  seen  them  says  they  beat  everything  they  have  ever  seen. 

The  three  pairs  of  Carneaux  and  seven  pairs  of  Homers  arrived  here  March  25.  The  Carneaux 
are  very  large,  fine  birds.  There  are  several  squab  raisers  here  (California).  One  man  has 
8000  birds  and  another  has  5000,  mostly  Homers,  but  when  they  saw  my  Carneaux  they  nearly 
went  wild.  I  am  going  to  order  more  Carneaux  in  a  few  days  but  not  until  I  see  what  they  will 
do.  I  will  clear  my  lofts  of  Homers  as  fast  as  I  can  and  stock  up  with  Carneaux  if  they  prove 
to  be  even  as  good  a  breeder  as  the  Homer. 

The  Carneaux  are  doing  fine.  One  pair  went  to  setting  within  24  hours  after  arrival.  The 
other  pair  laid  two  eggs  without  building  a  nest  so  of  course  are  not  setting,  but  I  believe  they 
are  building  now  as  they  ctay  indoors  a  great  deal  of  the  time.  Am  writing  you  this  as  I 
thought  it  might  be  of  interest  to  you  to  know  how  your  birds  are  doing  that  you  sold.  I 
brought  the  doctor  with  whom  you  have  been  corresponding  in  regard  to  the  Carneaux,  around 
to  see  my  birds  and  told  him  of  the  very  good  work  they  have  done  and  he  seemed  very  much 
pleased  with  them.  What  are  100  of  these  birds  worth  ?  I  believe  in  time  they  will  take  the 
place  of  the  Homers. 

The  three  pairs  of  Extra  Homers  and  three  pairs  Carneaux  arrived  this  morning  in  fine  condi- 
tion, and  are  a  fine  lot  of  birds.  I  am  well  pleased  with  them.  They  seem  to  be  in  a  hurry  to 
get  to  work,  as  one  of  the  Carneaux  laid  this  afternoon.  I  think  all  of  them  will  be  on  eggs  in 
a  few  days.  Will  want  more  breeders  later,  when  you  will  hear  from  me.  Thank  you  for  send- 
ing me  such  good  birds. 

As  I  have  promised  you,  this  lady  has  ordered  me  to  get  more  Carneaux  for  her.  She  is  very 
proud  of  the  five  pairs  you  sold  her.  She  has  got  the  Carneaux  fever  for  fair.  So  here  you  are, 
kindly  have  ready  for  next  Saturday  afternoon,  we  will  call  for  them,  five  pairs  of  your  best 
Carneaux.  Kindly  note,  she  will  want  more  in  about  two  weeks.  She  has  given  me  the  money 
already,  so  it  is  up  to  you  to  do  your  best.  In  her  name  I  thank  you.  I  will  call  next  Saturday 
about  1  p.m.  for  them  if  you  can  get  them  ready. 

Please  advise  me  if  the  Carneaux  pigeons  purchased  from  you  November  23  are  imported 
birds,  or  are  they  bred  by  you  from  the  imported  stock.  The  birds  are  doing  excellent  work. 
I  purchased  20  pairs  and  at  this  writing  have  20  nests.  Every  bird  in  the  loft  has  eggs  or  squabs, 
of  the  lot  purchased.  20  pairs. 

I  'am  well  pleased  with  the  pair  of  Carneaux  which  arrived  Saturday  in  good  condition. 
Please  send  me  three  more  pairs  of  same  on  the  same  conditions,  for  which  I  enclose  herewith  $18. 


APPENDIX  E  235 

I  thank  you  for  your  compliments  regarding  my  success  at  recent  leading  shows  with  my 
Carneaux.  Three  years  ago  in  one  of  my  consignments  of  pigeons  from  abroad,  I  received 
a  few  pairs  of  Carneaux.  I  kept  them  and  bred  several  fine  specimens.  I  am  not  a  regular 
pigeon  dealer.  1  am  a  fancier  more.  I  work  every  day  at  my  trade.  Pigeons  with  me  are  a 
side  issue.  I  have  bought  of  you  since  December  last  over  $148  of  Carneaux,  all  for  a  few 
customers.  Now  these  exhibitions  in  different  cities  I  made  have  created  a  furore  and  everybody 
is  after  me  for  Carneaux.  One  party  says,  "  A  man  like  you  that  exhibits  such  fine  Carneaux 
must  have  some  fine  ones  at  your  lofts.  I  want  your  Carneaux,"  etc.  I  will  send  you  an  order 
for  five  pairs  and  I  can  guarantee  you  more  orders  next  week. 

I  received  my  last  order  of  pigeons  two  or  three  days  ago;  which  was  my  third  order  from 
you.  The  Homers  were  very  fine  and  the  Carneaux  were  the  finest  pigeons  I  have  ever  seen. 
They  are  simply  grand  and  if  I  could  not  get  any  more  like  them  I  would  not  take  one  hundred 
dollars  for  them.  They  were  driving  the  hens  and  feeding  in  one  minute  after  I  turned  them 
out.  They  all  have  nests  now.  You  have  treated  me  very  nicely  and  I  like  to  do  business 
with  you.  You  have  always  treated  me  right.  I  had  a  letter  from  a  pigeon  man  yesterday, 
about  150  miles  from  here,  but  I  did  not  know  how  they  would  use  me  and  so  I  give  my  order 
to  you.  Enclosed  find  check  for  $50  for  which  please  send  me  three  pairs  of  your  very  best 
Carneaux,  and  the  rest,  a  nice  assortment  of  best  Homers.  (This  is  the  fourth  order  from  this 
customer.) 

The  eight  pairs  of  Carneaux  which  you  sent  me  last  Friday  arrived  Saturday  morning  at  9.30, 
making  seven  and  one-half  hours  better  time  than  the  shipment  of  Homers  you  made  me  on 
November  1  las.t.  They  are  certainly  beautiful  birds.  I  tried  putting  each  pair  in  mating 
coops  immediately  on  their  arrival,  having  previously  removed  the  partitions,  and  by  four 
o'clock  that  afternoon  six  pairs  had  mated.  The  other  two  pairs  mated  the  following  morning. 

I  was  going  to  go  to  see  you  last  Saturday  but  it  was  so  cold  I  postponed  it.  Kindly  fill 
my  order  for  five  pairs  of  Carneaux.  All  Carneaux  bought  of  you  are  entirely  satisfactory. 
It  is  a  pleasure  to  deal  with  you.  I  will  have  the  money  ready  when  I  call  for  them.  Kindly 
advise  when  you  can  fill  my  order. 

The  Carneaux  were  in  fine  shape  and  I  am  well  pleased  with  them.  I  am  enclosing  money 
order  for  $12  for  which  please  ship,  at  once  as  per  my  other  order,  two  pairs  more  of  mated 
Carneaux.  Please  give  the  filling  of  this  order  careful  attention,  as  it  means  a  great  deal  to  me. 
If  these  birds  do  as  well  as  I  hope  they  will,  I  shall  place  an  order  for  about  50  or  75  pairs  in 
the  near  future. 

I  am  in  receipt  of  the  four  pairs  of  Carneaux  which  were  shipped  on  June  1.  The  birds  are 
doing  nicely,  all  four  pairs  having  nested  and  laid. 

The  Carneaux  came  to  hand  last  Tuesday  and  to  say  I  am  pleased  with  them  is  putting  it 
entirely  too  mild.  They  are  the  prettiest,  biggest  things  in  the  pigeon  line  I  ever  saw.  Every  one 
that  sees  them  says  that  they  are  stunners,  they  are  the  talk  of  the  town.  Will  do  as  you 
suggest  about  the  plan  and  photo  of  the  house  I  built  for  less  than  $20,  and  it  is  a  dandy  for 
this  climate,  too.  If  you  wish  to  refer  any  one  to  me  or  have  me  show  any  one  the  Carneaux, 
just  say  so  and  I  will  be  only  too  glad  to  do  it.  Thank  you  for  the  prompt  and  careful  attention 
given  my  order. 

Our  two  crates  of  birds  arrived  two  weeks  ago.  We  thank  you  for  the  fine  lot  you  sent. 
They  are  certainly  as  fine  as  any  one  can  hope  to  possess.  We  have  the  room  now  for  700  or 
800  pairs  and  we  intend  to  fill  this  up  with  Plymouth  Rock  Extra  Homers  and  Carneaux.  We 
are  "  stuck  "  on  the  Carneaux  but  they  are  nearly  out  of  our  reach.  Please  give  us  all  the 
information  you  can  about  selling  squabs.  Can  we  reach  New  York?  We  understand  that 
we  can.  We  raise  more  squabs  in  the  winter  than  we  can  easily  handle  in  this  city.  We  note 
the  markets  in  the  Packer  but  they  are  always  just  as  you  say,  below  the  actual  market 
prices.  Our  birds  will  win  all  the  prizes  at  the  County  Fair  again  this  year. 

The  Carneaux  arrived  Monday  morning  and  were  O.K.  and  to  say  I  am  pleased  with  them 
does  not  express  it,  as  I  think  the  pair  of  yellows  are  the  best  I  ever  saw.  I  was  surprised  to 
find  the  extra  hen,  as  I  did  not  expect  you  to  make  good  the  loss  of  the  other  one.  I  thanji 
you  very  much  for.  the  nice  way  you  have  treated  me  in  our  dealings,  and  hope  to  do  more 
business  with  you  later. 

In  regard  to  our  conversation  of  last  week  about  the  Carneaux,  will  state  that  I  like  the  birds 
much  better  than  the  Homers,  as  both  squab  raisers  and  show  birds.  Every  one  who  has  seen 
my  birds  says  they  are  the  largest  and  finest  birds  they  ever  saw.  From  the  one  pair  of 
Carneaux  I  purchased  of  you  in  March,  1908,  I  have  raised  five  and  lost  three.  They  laid  in 


236         NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB   BOOK 


CARNEAU  SQUAB  COMPARED  WITH  HOMER  SQUAR 

The  Plymouth  Rock  Carneau  squab  at  the  left  of  the  above  photograph  weighs  17}^  ounces.  The  Homer  squab 
alongside  at  the  right  weighs  twelve  ounces. 

about  three  weeks  after  arriving  here,  so  you  see  they  have  been  at  work  nearly  all  the  time 
and  are  now  setting.  I  have  entered  five  of  them  at  our  County  Fair,  New  York,  and  expect 
to  capture  all  the  prizes  as  I  have  no  competition  and  had  to  enter  them  in  a  special  class.  I 
have  a  pair  of  yellow  birds  which  I  prize  highly.  The  Carneaux  should  make  a  great  showing 
in  the  squab  industry. 

I  received  your  special  offer  on  your  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  but  I  don't  see  any  reference 
to  your  Carneaux.  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  discard  all  birds  except  the  Carneaux.  I 
have  had  one  pair  from  you  and  I  am  well  satisfied.  Now  what  are  your  lowest  terms,  say  for 
five  or  ten  pairs,  express  paid  to  my  address?  Mr.  Rice,  I  want  them  in  time  so  I  can  show 
them  at  our  fair  in  September.  So  far  I  am  the  only  one  in  Colorado  who  has  a  pair  of  Carneaux, 
and  I  believe  I  could  get  quite  a  few  orders  for  you  if  I  put  good  birds  on  exhibition. 

The  three  pairs  of  Carneaux  are  doing  well.  The  squabs  are  very  large.  One  pair  of  squabs 
especially,  I  feel  sure,  will  weigh  a  pound  and  a  quarter  each  at  about  a  month  old. 

We  purchased  from  you  Homers  about  six  months  ago  and  Carneaux  about  three  months  ago. 
Both  are  satisfactory  and  we  like  the  work  very  much.  We  are  going  to  build  a  house  for  them 
this  fall  so  as  to  make  room  for  more  stock. 

The  pigeons  you  shipped  me  last  week  arrived  this  morning  in  fairly  good  condition,  con- 
sidering the  long  distance  they  travelled.  The  Carneaux  were  extra  lively.  They  mated  in 
less  than  an  hour  after  being  taken  from  the  crate.  I  am  more  than  pleased  with  the  Carneaux 
and  think  they  are  the  finest  birds  I  ever  saw  and  shall  take  great  pride  in  showing  them  to 
my  friends. 

I  have  50  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  which  we  bought  of  you.  They  are  doing  all  right 
but  I  like  the  Carneaux  better.  The  worst  thing  about  the  business  is  the  killing  part.  If  I 


Then  later  my  partner  went  over  and  purchased  of  you  three  pairs  more,  making  six  pairs 
of  imported  birds  purchased  of  you.  The  balance  are  the  offspring  of  the  original  six  pairs. 
I  shall  have  no  hesitancy  in  recommending  the  Carneaux  to  any  who  may  inquire.  They  have 


APPENDIX   E  237 

could  get  around  that  part  I  would  enjoy  it  better.     That  is  the  reason  I  would  like  to  get 
started  with  the  Carneaux. 

The  Carneaux  are  beyond  my  expectations.  I  have  bred  all  kinds  of  pigeons,  but  have  never 
seen  such  breeders  in  my  life.  I  have  bred  youngsters  from  them  weighing  19K  ounces  at  20 
days  old.  Can  you  beat  that?  Enclosed  please  find  order  for  six  dozen  nest  bowls. 

I  suppose  you  may  be  interested  to  hear  about  the  breeders  you  sent  me  last  spring.  The 
two  pairs  of  Carneaux  are  doing  fine.  They  have  hatched  five  pairs  of  squabs  since. 

The  Carneaux  I  bought  from  you  are  coming  along  finely  now.  I  have  had  luck  with  two 
or  three  settings  and  now  have  ten  young  pigeons  from  two  pairs. 

I  bought  four  pairs  of  Carneaux  of  you  last  November  and  now  (October)  have  37  birds. 

I  am  going  to  order  some  more  Carneaux  sure.  As  far  as  I  have  seen  they  are  the  bird. 
My  neighbors  here  say  that  mine  look  more  like  turkeys  than  pigeons. 

Some  time  ago  I  ordered  of  you  five  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Carneaux  at  $6  per  pair  and  am 
very  much  pleased  with  same.  I  am  particularly  interested  in  the  building  up  in  point  of 
weight  in  this  particular  bird.  Hence  I  beg  to  be  advised  whether  you  would  select  shipment 
of  extraordinary  size  at  increased  price  and  if  so,  extent  of  increased  size  or  weight  as  compared 
with  the  general  run  of  this  bird,  and  at  what  cost?  (Later  we  received  an  order  from  this 
customer  for  five  pairs  more.) 

The  Carneaux  were  purchased  of  you  some  time  in  December  last,  I  think,  first  three  pairs. 

:hased  of  you  three  pairs  more,  making  six  pairs 

balance  are  the  offspring  of  the  original  six  pairs. 
_  the  Carneaux  to  an 
proved  more  prolific  than  the  Homers  and  much  heavier  birds. 

The  Carneaux  proved  well.  Enclosed  find  $6  for  another  pair.  We  are  slowly  selling  off 
our  Homers.  (This  customer  has  bred  Homers  for  many  years.) 

We  started  with  six  pairs  of  your  Carneaux  shipped  March  26,  1908.  We  have  divided 
our  loft  into  two  pens,  one  for  the  breeders  and  one  for  the  young.  At  this  time,  October  23, 
we  have  forty  birds  altogether,  which  we  consider  a  good  increase.  The  young  birds  are  begin- 
ning to  mate.  Our  flock  worked  right  through  the  moulting  season.  We  enjoy  the  birds  and 
the  work  among  them  very  much.  (Later — November  23.)  We  now  have  forty-five  Carneaux 
all  told  and  eight  pairs  at  work. 

The  above  letters  from  customers  give  a  clear  idea  of  how  our  Carneaux 
are  getting  along  in  the  United  States  and  Canada.  Our  trade  in  them 
increased  in  1908  steadily  and  we  are  going  to  ship  thousands  of  pairs  in  1909. 

PLYMOUTH  ROCK  CARHOMES. 

The  crossing  of  a  Plymouth  Rock  Carneau  cock  to  a  Plymouth  Rock  Extra 
Red  Checker  Homer  female  produces  a  splendid  squab  and  we  recommend 
this  cross  if  you  wish  to  save  a  little  money  on  your,  first  purchase.  If  you 
have  some  of  our  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homer  females  now  in  your  flock, 
red  checkers,  we  will  ship  you  our  Carneaux  males  to  mate  with  them  at 
$2.50  each.  Or,  if  you  so  instruct  us,  we  will  mate  a  Carneau  male  to  a  red 
checker  Homer  Extra  female  and  sell  the  pair  to  you  for  $3.50 — as  many 
pairs  as  you  wish  at  $3.50  a  pair.  The  price  of  our  Carneaux  is  $6  a  pair, 
one  price  only.  (No  special  offers  made  on  this  breed.)  So  in  buying  the' 
Carneau-Homer  combination  of  us  instead  of  the  pure  Carneaux  you  will 
save  $2.50  on  every  pair  you  buy. 

We  call  this  combination  Carhomes,  taking  enough  of  each  word  to  make 
the  desired  meaning.  We  advocate  red-checker  Plymouth  Rock  Extra 
Homer  females  instead  of  the  other  colors  because  the  color  combination 


238         NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

is  the  prettiest  and  also  because  the  resulting  squabs  have  red  plumage 
closely  resembling  the  pure  Carneaux  squabs.  Of  course  they  cannot  be 
sold  for  breeders  as  pure  stock  Carneaux  but  these  Carhome  squabs  can 
be  put  on  the  market  in  competition  with  pure  C  irneaux  squabs  and  will 
sell  up  to  them  surprisingly  strong.  One  of  our  customers  who  is  pro- 
ducing these  Carhome  squabs  writes  the  following  emphatic  words:  "The 
results  of  my  breeding  one  of  your  Carneau  cocks  to  a  red-checker  Extra 
Homer  female  are  more  than  satisfactory.  First,  it  is  impossible  to  tell  the 
difference  in  color  and  size.  Second  good  result,  it  makes  the  young  ones 
very  hardy.  I  made  other  experiments  by  crossing  a  Carneau  cock  with  an 
English  hen  Homer  (carrier).  The  results  are  not  so  good  because  you  can 
tell  the  English  blood  in  the  squabs  and  it  destroys  the  beauty  of  the  Carneau 
head." 

We  do  not  breed  Carhomes  at  our  farm  because  our  reputation  has  been 
built  up  and  will  be  continued  on  pure  stock.  But  if  you  wish  to  breed 
squabs  for  market,  then  you  can  go  ahead  with  confidence  on  this  cross. 
We  sell  them  at  the  price  formerly  charged  by  some  for  Homer  pairs,  and 
they  are  superior  to  any  Homers  for  producing  big  squabs  and  breeding  fast. 
Understand,  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  you  from  building  up  a  business  in 
the  Carhomes  for  breeders  but  you  cannot  sell  them  representing  them  as 
pure  Carneaux.  The  blood  of  the  young  will  be  half  Carneaux  and  half 
Homer.  You  sell  them  on  their  merits  as  squab-breeders. 

For  our  customers  of  many  years'  standing  who  are  shipping  steadily  in 
to  the  markets  of  all  the  cities"  on  this  continent  not  only  the  best  Homer 
squabs,  but  three-fourths  of  all  the  squabs  sold,  we  recommend  our  Carneaux 
cocks  to  be  crossed  with  their  red-checker  Homer  females  as  the  best  means 
of  increasing  the  weight  per  dozen  of  their  output  and  the  quantity  of  squabs 
produced ;  and  bettering  both  the  appearance  of  the  squabs  and  the  quality 
of  the  meat. 

We  do  not  advocate  the  crossing  of  a  Homer  red-checker  cock  to  a  Carneau 
hen  (or,  to  coin  a  word,  Homecarnes)  because  (1)  the  cock  should  be  master 
in  fact  as  well  as  name,  (2)  the  female  likes  a  large  male  better  than  a  small 
male,  (3)  the  female  is  not  so  likely  to  break  her  mating  to  secure  a  more 
vigorous  helpmate,  (4)  the  male  is  better  able  to  defend  his  mate  and  family 
from  other  -nales  or  females,  (5)  the  male  Carneau,  the  best  of  his  kind,  is 
larger  and  better  than  the  male  Homer,  the  best  of  his  kind.  (The  female 
Carneau  is  inferior  to  the  male  Carneau.) 

CARNEAUX  AND  HOMERS  NOT  IN  THE  SAME  PEN. 

As  a  rule,  each  breed  of  pigeons  should  be  kept  in  a  pen  separate  from 
other  breeds.  If  different  breeds  are  kept  in  the  same  pen,  the  breeds  may 
mix,  no  matter  how  carefully  the  pairs  are  mated,  and  of  course  the  young 
are  liable  to  mix.  There  is  nothing  about  a  Homer  pigeon  which  keeps  it 
true  to  its  own  species.  If  Fantails  or  any  other  fancy  breeds  of  pigeons  are 
kept  in  the  same  pen  with  Homers,  there  is  nothing  about  the  Homer  which 
would  lead  it  to  be  true  to  its  own  species.  He  or  she  is  just  as  liable  to  seek 
a  different  breed  for  a  mate.  As  to  the  two  kinds  we  sell,  the  Homers  and 
the  Carneaux,  if  they  were  kept  in  the  same  pen,  it  i;.:  quite  possible  that  an 
attachment  for  a  Carneau  cock  or  hen  might  form  with  a  Homer  of  the 
opposite  sex.  So  if  you  are  breeding  both  the  Carneaux  and  the  Homers 
for  the  pure  stock  you  should  keep  them  separate. 


APPENDIX  F 

(.Copyright,  1909,  by  Elmer  C   Rice.) 

Letters  from  customers  which  we  print  on  the  following  pages  are  a  few 
of  those  received  lately.  From  a  pile  of  manuscript  some  three  feet  high 
we  have  selected  enough  letters  to  make  a  proper  setting  for  the  pictures. 
Many  customers  have  sent  in  letters  which  ought  to  be  printed  for  the  news 
in  them,  but  in  this  book,  now  grown  to  quite  bulky  proportions,  we  have 
run  up  against  the  limit  of  space. 

A  MONTHLY  SQUAB  MAGAZINE. 

The  best  outlet  for  suggestions,  experiences,  market  reports  from  all  over 
the  country,  etc.,  constantly  being  sent  in,  would  be  a  monthly  squab  maga- 
zine, printed  and  illustrated  in  the  best  style,  capably  edited  and  written  by 
experienced  and  industrious  men  and  women  who  have  ability  as  well  as 
good  intentions,  who  know  what  they  are  doing,  and  who  know  squabs. 
Such  a  magazine,  creditably  gotten  up,  with  money  behind  it,  and  money  com^ 
ing  in  from  subscribers  really  pleased  because  they  would  be  getting  full  value', 
would  be  a  power  in  the  squab  industry.  Properly  managed,  it  would  not  only 
be  a  clearing  house  for  ideas  and  a  monthly  entertainment,  but  of  assistance 
in  actually  making  market  prices  for  squabs,  bettering  them.  Breeders  of 
squabs  should  be  organized  for  better  prices  and  other  ends.  A  first-class 
monthly  squab  magazine  would  be  cheap  at  a  subscription  price  of  $1  a  year, 
issued  on  time  each  month,  and  containing  nothing  but  original  matter  at 
first-hand  (no  politics  or  cheap  wrangling,  but  plain  and  thorough  business 
all  the  time.)  There  is  a  demand  for  such  a  national  squab  magazine  and 
thousands  of  breeders  would  subscribe  for  it. 

MORE  ABOUT  HOW  TO  TELL  SEX 

A  good  proportion  of  our  letters,  month  after  month  and  year  after  year, 
inquire  how  to  tell  the  sex  of  pigeons.  People  ask  us  this  question  before 
they  have  read  this  Manual  and  after  they  have  read  the  Manual.  We 
should  like  to  write  this  down  to  the  remotest  detail  so  that  even  a  child 
could  tell  the  sex  of  a  pigeon  by  looking  at  it,  but  this  is  impossible.  There 
is  no  language  which  can  convey  the  secret  of  telling  absolutely  the  sex  of 

Eigeons.  You  can  tell  only  by  watching  them  and  by  experience  gained 
y  this  watching.  You  become  more  expert  in  determining  the  sex  as  you  go 
along.  There  are  no  marks  on  either  male  or  female  by  which  you  can 
distinguish  them  at  any  age.  Some  large  male  pigeons  act  the  same  as 
roosters  do  and  can  be  told  almost  at  a  glance.  On  the  other  hand,  some 
female  pigeons  are  large  and  coarse,  like  a  male  bird,  and  the  secret  of  their 
sex  is  disclosed  only  by  their  actions  in  conjunction  with  birds  of  the  opposite 
sex. 

The  birds  we  ship  are  banded  cocks  on  right  leg  and  hens  on  left  leg.  You* 
must  watch  these  birds  and  see  how  they  act.  By  the  location  of  the  band 
you  will  know  the  sex  and  by  their  actions  you  will  learn  to  connect  what 
you  see  with  the  specified  sex.  Sometimes  customers  will  write  to  us  and 
state  that  they  have  raised  birds  and  are  puzzled  about  the  sex  of  them. 
In  that  case  you  must  watch  their  actions  or  you  can  turn  such  birds  in  with 

239 


240         NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB   BOOK 

some  of  our  birds  and  watch  their  behavior  in  connection  with  our  birds. 
You  will  know  the  sex  of  our  birds  by  the  bands  on  their  legs,  and  when  you 
have  determined  by  the  actions  of  your  birds  what  the  sex  of  them  is,  catch 
them  and  band  them,  putting  a  band  on  the  right  leg  of  the  cock  and  a  band 
on  the  left  leg  of  the  hen.  It  is  impossible  to  band  a  squab  four  or  five  days 
old  with  a  seamless  band  so  as  to  designate  the  sex.  You  cannot  tell  the 
sex  of  a  squab  or  young  pigeon  until  it  discloses  by  its  actions  at  mating  age, 
four  or  five  months,  what  it  is.  If  you  put  a  seamless  band  on  a  young 
squab,  the  object  is  to  show  the  age,  not  the  sex.  The  best  way  for  the 
business  squab  breeder  is  to  put  an  open  band  on  the  leg  of  the  squab,  showing 
its  age,  by  its  date,  and  bearing  a  distinguishing  number  which  you  refer 
to  in  your  records.  You  can  put  this  band  on  either  the  right  leg  or  the  left 
leg  of  the  squab.  When  the  young  bird  grows  up  to  mating  age  and  you 
find  out  its  sex,  then  change  the  band  to  either  the  right  or  left  leg  to  suit 
the  case. 

It  is  not  a  difficult  matter  to  determine  the  sex  of  a  pigeon  by  watching, 
for  sooner  or  later  you  will  see  actions  that  will  tell  you.  You  must  not  be 
guided  much  by  a  little  quarrelling  which  you  sometimes  see  going  on.  Two 
hens  will  quarrel  the  same  as  two  cocks.  If  two  or  three  pigeons  are  ex- 
tremely puzzling  to  you,  handle  them  in  this  manner:  Take  them  out  of 
the  breeding  pen  and  put  each  pigeon  in  a  small  coop  or  box  in  the  dark  and 
keep  them  there  for  two  or  three  days,  each  pigeon  in  a  separate  box  or  coop. 
Feed  and  water  them  regularly,  then  take  them  out  of  their  little  coops  and 
put  them  into  mating  coops  with  other  birds.  They  will  generally  disclose 
their  sex  as  they  are  anxious  for  companionship  after  being  shut  in  so  long. 
Another  way  to  do  this  is  to  take  two  birds  and  put  them  into  a  mating 
coop,  one  on  each  side  of  the  partition,  and  put  a  bag  or  other  covering  over 
the  coop  so  that  the  place  will  be  darkened  for  two  or  three  days.  Feed  and 
water  daily.  Then  take  off  the  covering  and  take  out  the  partition  in  the 
middle  of  the  mating  coop  and  watch  the  two  birds  as  they  come  together. 

The  beginner  should  familiarize  himself  with  the  billing,  treading  and 
driving  as  he  sees  the  birds.  We  have  had  customers  write  us  and  declare 
that  we  had  shipped  them  squabs  because  they  had  seen  what  they  thought 
young  birds  taking  nourishment  from  the  older  birds.  What  they  really 
had  seen  was  a  male  bird  kissing  or  billing  with  a  female  bird,  a  matter 
entirely  different. 

The  male  and  female  mates  not  only  bill,  tread  and  drive,  but  they  nestle 
close  at  times,  each  running  his  or  her  bill  through  the  feathers  on  the  neck 
and  head  of  the  other. 

Pigeon  breeding  is  an  ancient  hobby  and  pastime  in  England.  An  English 
writer,  Dixon,  years  ago  described  their  love  affairs  in  choice  words.  It  is 
a  pretty  sight,  said  Dixon,  to  see  pigeons  at  liberty  when  "  courting."  They 
begin  to  go  together  in  pairs,  except  while  associated  with  the  flock  at  feeding- 
times;  and  when  they  are  resting  on  the  roofs,  or  basking  in  the  sun,  they 
retire  apart  to  a  short  distance  for  the  purpose  of  courtship,  and  pay  each 
other  little  kind  attentions,  such  as  nestling  close,  and  mutually  tickling 
the  heads  one  of  another.  At  last  comes  what  is  called  "  billing,"  which  is 
in  fact  a  kiss,  a  hearty  and  intense  kiss.  As  soon  as  this  takes  place,  the 
marriage  is  complete,  and  is  forthwith  consummated.  The  pair  are  now 
united,  not  necessarily  for  life,  though  usually  so,  but  rather  durante  bene 
placito,  so  long  as  they  continue  to  be  satisfied  with  each  other.  If  they  are 


APPENDIX   F  241 

Tumblers,  they  mount  aloft  and  try  which  can  tumble  best;  if  they  are 
Pouters,  they  emulate  one  the  other's  puffings,  tail-sweepings,  circlets  in 
the  air,  and  wing-clappings;  while  the  Fantails  and  Runts,  and  all  those 
kinds  which  the  French  call  pigeons  mondains,  walk  the  ground  with  conscious 
importance  and  grace.  But  this  is  their  honeymoon — -the  time  for  the 
frolics  of  giddy  young  people.  The  male  is  the  first  to  become  serious.  He 
foresees  that  "  the  Campbells  are  coming  "  better  than  his  bride,  and  therefore 
takes  possession  of  some  locker  or  box  that  seems  an  eligible  tenement.  If 
it  is  quite  empty  and  bare,  he  carries  to  it  a  few  straws  or  light  sticks;  but- 
if  the  apartment  has  been  already  furnished  for  him,  he  does  not  at  present 
take  much  further  trouble  in  that  line.  Here  he  settles  himself,  and  begins 
complaining.  His  appeal  is  sometimes  answered  by  the  lady  affording  him 
her  presence,  sometimes  not;  in  which  case  he  does  not  pine  in  solitude  very 
long,  but  goes  and  searches  out  his  careless  helpmate,  and  with  close  pursuit 
and  a  few  sharp  pecks  if  necessary,  insists  upon  her  attending  to  her  business 
at  home.  Like  the  good  husband  described  in  Fuller's  Holy  State,  "  his  love 
to  his  wife  weakeneth  not  his  ruling  her,  and  his  ruling  lesseneth  not  his 
loving  her."  And  so  the  hen  obeys,  occasionally,  however,  giving  some 
trouble ;  but  at  last  she  feels  that  she  must  discontinue  general  visiting 
and  long  excursions,  and  enters  the  modest  establishment  that  has  been 
prepared  for  her  performance  of  her  maternal  duties.  A  day  or  two  after 
she  has  signified  her  acceptance  of  the  new  home,  an  egg  may  be  expected 
to  be  found  there.  Over  this  she  (mostly)  stands  sentinel  till,  after  an 
intervening  day,  a  second  egg  is  laid,  and  incubation  really  commences, 
not  hotly  and  energetically  at  first,  as  with  hens,  turkeys,  and  many  other 
birds,  but  gently  and  with  increasing  assiduity.  And  now  the  merits  of 
her  mate  grow  apparent-  He  does  not  leave  his  lady  to  bear  a  solitary  burden 
of  matrimonial  care.  He  takes  a  share,  though  a  minor  one,  of  the  task 
of  incubating;  and  he  more  than  performs  his  half -share  of  the  labor  of 
rearing  the  young.  At  about  noon,  sometimes  earlier,  the  hens  leave  their 
nests  for  air  and  exercise  as  well  as  food,  and  the  cocks  take  their  place  upon 
the  eggs.  If  you  enter  a  pigeon-loft  at  about  2  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
you  will  find  all  the  cock-birds  sitting — a  family  arrangement  that  affords  an 
easy  method  of  discovering  which  birds  are  paired  with  which.  The  ladies 
are  to  be  seen  taking  their  respective  turns  in  the  same  locations  early  in 
the  morning,  in  the  evening,  and  all  the  night.  The  older  a  cock-pigeon 
grows,  the  more  fatherly  does  he  become.  So  great  is.his  fondness  for  having 
a  rising  family,  that  an  experienced  unmated  cock-bird,  if  he  can  but  induce 
some  flighty  young  hen  to  lay  him  a  couple  of  eggs  as  a  great  favor,  will 
almost  entirely  take  the  charge  of  hatching  and  rearing  them  himself.  We 
are  possessed  of  an  old  Blue  Antwerp  Carrier  which  by  following  this  line 
was,  with  but  little  assistance  from  any  female,  an  excellent  provider  of  pie 
materials,  till  he  succeeded  in  educating  a  hen  Barb  to  be  a  steady  wife  and 
mother. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  observation  put  into  pigeons  by  Mr.  Dixon 
before  he  expressed  the  above  sentiments  and  what  he  saw  you  will  see- 
when  you  watch  your  flock. 

HOW  TO  KEEP  DOWN  AN  EXCESS  OF  COCKS. 

One  of  our  customers  in  Connecticut  of  considerable  experience  and 
original  thought  has  tried  out  our  Homers  with  birds  from  other  sources,  and 


242         NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB   BOOK 

has  found  them  superior  to  all  he  has  tried.  He  had  no  culls  among  the 
squabs.  He  has  bought  largely  of  our  Homers  and  Carneaux.  He  had  been 
trying  on  some  white  Homers  our  plan  for  getting  15  pairs  from  one  pair 
of  breeders  in  a  year  and  thought  the  plan  was  original  with  him.  This  is 
an  indication  of  the  careful  attention  he  has  given  to  the  details  of  the 
business.  Here  is  another  plan  he  has  been  working.  An  excess  of  cocks 
seems  to  be  one  of  the  troubles  of  some  in  raising  young  birds  and  for  that 
reason  we  have  requests  for  single  hens.  This  customer  proceeds  on  the 
theory  that  the  second  egg  is  said  to  hatch  a  hen,  so  he  goes  among  the  nests 
every  day  and  marks  all  single  eggs  1  with  a  pencil.  Then  in  a  couple  of 
days  when  the  second  egg  has  come  he  marks  it  2.  Then  he  puts  both  the  2 
eggs  in  one  nest  and  both  the  1  eggs  in  the  other  nest,  making  a  memorandum 
of  the  nests  and  what  he  has  done.  When  killing  day  arrives  for  these  nests 
he  saves  the  2  squab  and  kills  the  1  squab,  thereby  hoping  to  raise  two  hens. 
How  this  will  work  out  in  actual  practice  he  does  not  know,  because  he  has 
not  been  doing  it  long  enough.  We  speak  of  it  here  so  that  our  customers 
may  try  it  if  they  wish  and  see  how  they  come  out. 

While  in  some  lofts  there  may  be  an  excess  of  male  birds  caused  by  con- 
tinuous breeding,  it  is  true  cftat  the  law  of  the  species  is  to  hatch  out  equally. 
Otherwise  in  time,  and  a  comparatively  short  time  too,  the  entire  species 
would  be  extinct.  It  is  absolutely  not  true  that  more  cocks  than  hens  hatch 
out.  The  law  is  that  equal  numbers  hatch  out,  for  this  law  is  necessary  to 
the  propagation  of  the  species. 

We  have  had  thousands  of  customers  start  with  three  pairs  or  six  pairs 
or  twelve  pairs  and  increase  from  that  small  beginning  to  200  or  300  pairs 
or  more,  as  our  letters  from  customers  show.  This  is  proof  that  the  law 
of  equal  sex  holds  fairly  good  even  in  the  restricted  confines  of  a  small  squab 
house. 

Squab  raising  for  profit  is  a  new  business  for  the  Connecticut  customer 
above  mentioned.  He  is  well  up  on  pigeons  as  a  fancy  or  rather  amusement, 
having  kept  in  Europe  at  one  time  or  another  a  few  pairs  of  all  breeds.  He 
has  been  getting  $4.50  for  his  squabs  all  summer  in  Connecticut,  with  some 
at  $3.50  to  his  local  butcher  who  retails  them  at  $4.50,  unassorted,  running 
over  eight  pounds  to  the  dozen.  He  says  the  more  he  sees  of  this  business 
the  more  he  is  convinced  that  conducted  right  there  isibig  money  in  it;  but 
conducted  wrong  it  is  a  poor-business.  This  is  certainly  correct,  and  is  why 
we  insist  upon  our  birds  being  used  and  managed  in  the  way  we  tell  both 
in  this  book,  and  the  special  instructions  which  we  send  out  with  every 
shipment. 

SQUAB  HOUSES  OF  TWO  AND  THREE  STORIES. 

We  have  been  asked  by  customers  whose  ground  is  limited  or  who  happen 
to  have  a  certain  plot,  if  a  two-story  house  would  not  be  all  right  in  which 
to  raise  squabs.  Some  of  these  customers  have  figured  out  carefully  and 
thoroughly  that  the  construction  of  the  two-story  house  is  cheaper  than  two 
one-story  houses.  A  two-story  house  certainly  may  be  built.  We  print 
on  the  opposite  page  a  photograph  of  a  two  and  one-half  story  pigeon  house. 
This  breeder  is  a  good  customer  who  has  bought  about  $2000  worth  of 
Plymouth  Rock  birds  of  us  during  the  past  four  years,  and  he  understands 
what  he  is  about.  We  asked  him  to  describe  his  plant.  He  says  this  house, 
which  is  part  of  his  large  plant,  was  not  transformed  from  an  old  place,  but 


APPENDIX   F 


TWO  AND  ONE-HALF  STORY  SQUAB  HOUSE. 
This  was  built  to  utilize  to  best  advantage  a  small  plot  of  ground.   For  description  see  this  page  and  the  opposite 


was  built  especially  for  pigeons.  It  was  almost  a  case  of  necessity  with  him, 
as  all  the  plots  of  ground  near  him  were  owned  by  one  man  who  stood  out  for 
a  stiff  price.  The  customer  accordingly  built  this  house  and;'  says  he  has 
never  regretted  it.  After  it  was  built  he  was  able  to  purchase  all  the  land 
he  ever  should  need,  and  he  bought  it  right.  This  three-story  house  is  54 
feet  long  and  20  feet  wide,  14  feet  to  top  flat,  14  feet  rafter  with  .one  foot  pro- 
jection. The  third  floor  is  laid  on  a  level  with  top  flat.  The  third  floor  does 
not_extend  across  the  entire  width  of  the  building,  but  drops  back  five  feet 
from  each  side,  giving  room  for  three  nests  from  floor  to  roof.  The  four 
sides  of  these  pens  are  lined  with  nests,  and  the  pens  are  10x10  feet.  Single 
dormer  window  on  north  and  two  dormer  windows  on  south  (this  is  shown 
in  photograph).  No  hallway  on  third  floor,  but  steps  from  second  floor 
go  up  near  the  center  of  the  building,  making  it  unnecessary  to  pass  through 
all  pens  to  reach  the  end  pens.  First  and  second  floors  alike  have  a  four-foot- 
hallway  on  the  north  side,  and  each  floor  has  six  pens  9x16  feet.  The 
partitions  between  these  pens  are  formed  by  the  nest  boxes.  Feed  and  water 
from  the 'hallway.  The  floors  are  of  matched  lumber  and  the  first  floor  is 
double  with  paper  between.  The  frame  of  building  was  first  covered  with 
heavy  roofing  of  a  popular  brand  and  sided  with  ship-top  lumber.  Under 
the  west  end  of  this  building  is  a  basement  20x20  feet,  cement  floor,  used  for 


244         NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB    BOOK 

picking  and  packing  squabs.  The  building  has  17  pens,  and  each  pen  has 
its  flying  pen  which  reaches  the  ground.  For  the  first  floor,  the  flying  pens 
are  nine  feet  wide  and  seven  feet  high,  and  extend  out  20  feet  from  the 
building.  Beyond  the  south  end  of  flying  pen  for  first  floor,  the  flying  pen 
extends  another  20  feet.  This  extended  pen  is  divided  into  two  pens  10x9 
feet  on  the  ground.  The  birds  from  the  second  and  third  floors  reach  these 
pens  through  a  fly-way  above  the  flying  pen  of  the  first  floor,  one-half  as  wide. 
You  will  notice  a  tank  (shown  in  photograph)  on  the  roof.  Water  is  forced 
from  a  cistern  into  this  tank.  All  pens  outside  are  connected  with  water 
main,  making  it  easy  to  give  the  birds  a  bath. 

SQUABS  FED  ARTIFICIALLY. 

Sometimes  it  is  desirable  or  necessary  to  feed  a  squab  artificially,  introduc- 
ing the  right  kind  of  a  mixture  with  the  fingers  or  with  a  syringe.  These 
efforts  are  more  or  less  crude.  The  best  way  is  as  it  is  done  in  Italy,  but  it 
is  doubtful  whether"  our  squab  raisers  would  employ  it.  We  first  saw  this 
done  in  Bologna,  Italy.  The  squabs  are  shipped  into  Bologna  from,  the 
outlying  country  when  they  are  about  the  same  age  as  our  squabs,  four 
weeks.  They  are  always  shipped  in  alive  in  common  slatted  coops.  It  is 
quite  necessary  that  the  squabs  be  fed  before  they  are  re-shipped  alive  as 
they  always  are  to  Paris  or  Monte  Carlo  or  Aix-les-Bains.  They  are  fed  in 
the  following  manner:  The  workman  mixes  up  a  sort  of  thick  gruel  with 
grain  and  water.  All  the  grain  which  he  uses  is  quite  fine,  such  as  the  finest 
size  of  cracked  corn.  Then  he  fills  his  mouth  with  a  quantity  of  this  mixture 
and  begins  feeding  the  squabs.  He  takes  up  a  squab  in  his  two  hands  and 
holds  the  bill  of  the  squab  to  his  mouth.  The  squab  is  hungry  and  naturally 
open  its  bill,  or  if  not  the  operator  opens  the  bill  of  the  squab  for  him.  The 
operator  then  with  his  tongue  forces  into  the  mouth  of  the  squab  a  quantity 
of  the  mixture,  and  the  squab  fills  its  crop.  Immediately  another  squab  is 
taken  and  handled  in  the  same  manner.  This  process  is  done  with  great 
skill  and  rapidity.  We  watched  one  operator  feed  a  coop  of  24  squabs  in 
five  minutes.  This  artificial  feeding  of  squabs  is  very  common  in  Bologna 
and  in  other  European  cities,  where  it  has  been  going  on  for  years.  The 
operators  show  no  repugnance,  but  keep  at  the  work  as  part  of  their  daily 
round  of  duties  month  after  month. 

NESTS  ON  THE  FLOOR. 

It  is  impossible  to  prevent  some  pairs  from  building  on  the  floor  of  the 
squab  house.  Squab  breeders  who  have  a  large  bump  of  system  and  order 
are  cast  down  because  all  of  their  pairs  do  not  stick  to  the  nest  boxes  all 
the  time.  You  cannot  force  certain  pairs  to  breed  in  the  nest  boxes.  They 
will  pick  out  a  corner  on  the  floor  or  alongside  of  the  crate  containing  the 
nesting  material  or  under  a  tier  of  nest  boxes.  There  they  will  build  their 
nest  and  rear  their  squabs  and  they  are  generally  left  alone.  Do  not  take 
their  nests  and  eggs  and  put  them  in  one  of  the  nest  boxes,  for  if  you  do  it 
is  not  likely  th§  birds  will  follow. 

Squabs  from  such  nests  should  be  carefully  watched  and  should  be  taken 
away  to  be  killed  before  they  are  strong  enough  to  walk  around  on  the  floor. 
You  will  have  to  take  away  such  squabs  when  they  are  full  and  plump  at 
three  weeks  of  age.  If  you  leave  them  in  the  nest  too  long  it  is  quite  usual 
for  them  to  get  up  and  walk  around  on  the  floor  and  as  soon  as  they  do  this 


APPENDIX    F  245 

they  are  no  longer  squabs,  but  have  trained  off  their  fat  and  become  young 
pigeons.  Squabs  in  the  nest  boxes  do  not  walk  around  like  these  because 
they  realize  that  they  are  somewhat  weak  and  will  not  take  the  flight  to  the 
floor. 

It  is  troublesome  when  cleaning  to  avoid  some  nests  on  the  floor.  When 
the  young  birds  leave  the  nest  boxes  above  they  are  quite  helpless  and  will 
rest  on  the  floor.  The  old  birds  which  have  built  their  nests  on  the  floor 
will  peck  the  young  birds  and  give  them  no  rest.  The  cocks  especially  will 
do  this. 

A  customer  has  found  out  a  way  which  he  has  had  in  use  for  some  time 
to  keep  pairs  off  the  floor  and  induce  them  to  build  in  the  nest  boxes.  When 
he  finds  a  new  nest  on  the  floor,  he  lets  the  hen  lay  both  eggs  there  and  sit 
on  them  for  one  or  two  days.  Then  he  makes  a  nest  box  about  twelve  inches 
square  and  six  inches  high  and  places  the  nest,  eggs  and  all,  into  this  box 
and  allows  the  nest  box  to  stand  on  the  floor  of  the  squab  house  in  the  same 
spot  where  he  found  the  original  nest.  He  reports  that  nine  times  out  of 
ten  the  hen  will  sit  on  the  nest  as  before.  He  lets  her  sit  on  the  eggs  for 
three  or  four  days  more,  then  he  takes  the  nest  box,  eggs  and  all,  and  screws 
or  nails  it  to  the  side  wall  as  near  as  possible  to  the  spot  where  the  nest  was 
on  the  floor.  Sometimes  he  raises  the  nest  box  from  the  floor  a  small  distance 
at  a  time,  one  inch  one  day,  another  inch  the  following  day.  He  says  that 
although  this  is  quite  a  trouble  it  seems  to  break  the  hen  of  the  habit  of 
building  on  the  floor  and  the  next  time  she  is  more  than  likely  to  build  the 
nest  off  the  floor. 

A  PLAN  TO  GET  RID  OF  RATS  AND  MICE. 

One  of  our  customers  gives  us  the  following  idea:  Make  a  rough  table 
of  matched  board  with  joists  for  legs,  about  three  and  one-half  or  four  feet 
high  and  the  same  shape  as  the  feed  box,  only  have  it  three  feet  longer  and 
three  feet  wider.  This  will  allow  for  a  platform  18  inches  wide  around  the 
feed  box  for  the  birds  to  stand  on  and  eat  the  grain;  next  make  a  rim,  high 
enough  so  that  when  the  pigeons  are  getting  grain  they  will  not  scatter  any 
on  the  floor.  Do  not  be  afraid  of  having  the  rim  too  high,  eight  inches  will 
be  all  right.  Have  this  eight-inch  rim  all  around.  The  last  thing  is  to  buy 
some  smooth,  glassy  tin  plate  and  wrap  a  piece  around  each  leg.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  cover  the  whole  leg,  12  to  18  inches  will  be  enough.  This  will 
make  it  impossible  for  rats  or  mice  to  climb  up  over  the  tin  and  eat  the 
grain.  The  legs  should  be  18  inches  or  two  feet  high. 

Another  way  to  manage  instead  of  using  the  tin  is  to  put  the  feed  box  up 
on  a  platform  and  support  this  platform  with  four  legs  made  of  iron  pipe. 
Generally  there  is  a  joint  in  the  tin,  and  some  mice  may  run  up  a  joint  or 
seam  of  this  kind,  putting  their  feet  into  the  crack  in  the  seam.  If  you  use 
iron  pipe  to  support  the  platform  it  will  be  impossible  for  the  rats  or  mice 
to  climb  up  this  iron  pipe  to  .-.;:  feed  box.  You  should  use  four  pieces  of 
piping,  one  at  each  corner. 

Here  is  another  way  to  clean  out  the  mice:  Take  a  small  tight  box,  say 
six  inches  by  six  inches  in  size.  Bore  an  inch  or  two-inch  hole  at  one  side 
near  the  bottom,  put  in  a  handful  of  feathers  or  cotton  and  lay  the  box  on 
the  floor  in  a  secluded  part  of  the  squab  house.  In  about  two  weeks  go  to 
the  box  quietly  in  the  daytime,  put  your  hand  over  the  hole,  and  carry  the 
box  to  a  barrel  or  tub  half  full  of  water.  The  mice  will  jump  out  faster 


246         NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB   BOOK 

than  you  can  count.     One  customer  got  48  at  the  first  trial,  and  about  ten 
the  next  time.     This  took  them  all  and  he  was  no  longer  troubled  by  mice. 

HOW  TO  MAKE  PERCHES. 

In  making  perches,  one  of  our  friends  has  a  plan  that  may  be  of  use  to 
some  beginner.  Take  a  square  tobacco  caddy  with  dove-tailed  corners, 
such  as  can  be  had  at  any  tobacco  counter.  Remove  the  bottom  and  saw 
the  sides  in  two  half  way.  A  small  block  of  wood  nailed  in  the  angle  furnishes 
an  easy  way  to  fasten  the  perch  to  the  wall. 

PITTSBURG  MARKET. 

Our  customers  repeatedly  call  our  attention  to  the  fine  market  for  squabs  in 
Pittsburg.  They  are  quoted  at  $4  a  dozen  in  the  newspapers  there,  and  we 
have  customers  in  that  city  who  are  getting  as  high  as  a  dollar  apiece,  or 
$12  a  dozen,  for  first-class  squabs  bred  from  our  birds,  weighing  a  pound 
apiece.  It  is  quite  true  that  Pittsburg  is  an  excellent  squab  market,  in 
fact,  one  of  the  best  in  the  country,  as  there  are  so  many  rich  people  there. 
We  have  also  some  good,  live,  wide-awake  customers  who  are  shipping 
squabs  to  Pittsburg,  and  they  have  shown  Pittsburg  squab  buyers  the 
superiority  of  well-bred  squabs.  The  result  is  that  they  have  worked  up 
an  insistent  demand  which  must  be  satisfied.  What  our  customers  have  done 
for  Pittsburg  anybody  can  do  living  near  a  city,  or  a  town.  This  work  of 
letting  your  nearest  market  know  what  you  have,  and  then  showing  what 
you  have  to  the  market  must  be  done  by  you.  Nobody  can  do  it  for  you. 
The  prices  you  can  get  for  your  squabs,  and  the  demand  for  your  squabs, 
which  you  can  create,  rest  entirely  with  you.  Nobody  can  do  this  from 
a  distance — you  are  on  the  ground  and  such  work  must  be  done  by  you. 

LOW  QUOTATIONS. 

Beginners  may  find  in  the  newspapers  or  in  letters  from  commission  men 
a  low  quotation  for  squabs.  Some  will  write  to  commission  men  and  dealers 
asking  them  what  they  will  pay  for  squabs,  etc.  In  nearly  every  case  the 
commission  man  or  dealer  will  write  back  an  absurdly  low  price.  It  is  to 
his  advantage  of  course  to  buy  squabs  as  cheap  as  he  can  and  sell  as  dear  as 
he  can.  The  most  peculiar  feature  of  such  matters  to  us  is  that  the  breeder 
or  prospective  breeder  of  squabs  apparently  takes  the  matter  for  settled 
and  writes  us  that  he  can  get  only  SI. 50  or  $2  a  dozen  for  squabs.  Such 
people  seem  to  be  lacking  entirely  in  any  business  ability.  An  eight-year- 
old  boy  who  is  accustomed  to  selling  newspapers  has  enough  business  judg- 
ment to  prevent  him  from  writing  such  a  letter.  Of  course  the  commission 
men  or  squab  dealers  start  with  a  very  low  price.  If  the  breeder  -vill  sell 
to  him  at  this  very  low  price,  that  is  so  much  more  to  the  advantage  of  the 
commission  man  or  dealer.  He  is  writing  to  feel  out  the  breeder.  If  the 
breeder  writes  back  to  him  and  says,  "You.  rrice  is  too  low,  you  will  never 
get  my  squabs  for  this  figure,"  then  the  commission  man  or  dealer  will  raise 
his  prices.  The  dealer  who  is  selling  squabs  for  from  $3  to  $6  or  more  a 
dozen  (as  they  all  are)  will  pay  from  $2.50  to  $4  a  dozen,  no  matter  who  he 
is  or  where  he  lives,  in  any  part  of  the  United  States  or  Canada. 

The  only  way  for  you  to  determine  the  true  market  price  of  squabs  wher- 
ever you  live  is  to  go  into  the  market  or  apply  by  letter  and  offer  to  buy 
squabs  and  not  to  sell  them.  In  all  the  letters  you  write  and  all  the  talk 


APPENDIX   F  247 

you  make,  offer  to  buy  all  the  time  and  then  the  dealer  will  disclose  to  you 
the  true  prices.  Then  you  will  know  what  to  sell  your  squabs  for.  If  you 
find  that  he  is  selling  squabs  at  $3  a  dozen,  he  should  pay  you  $2.50  a  dozen. 
If  he  is  selling  squabs  for  $4  a  dozen,  he  should  pay  you  $3  a  dozen  for  them 
and  so  on. 

Once  more,  be  on  your  guard  against  market  quotations.  If  you  see 
squabs  quoted  in  a  newspaper  or  anywhere  else  at  low  prices  it  does  not 
follow  by  any  means  that  that  price  is  the  true  one.  Such  figures  are  put 
in  because  they  are  the  prices  of  the  commission  men  or  dealers,  which  they 
want  to  pay. 

No  successful  squab  business  can  be  built  up  if  you  allow  a  middleman  to 
run  your  plant  for  you.  You  are  simply  buying  grain  and  working  for  him. 
He  has  no  trouble  or  expense  to  amount  to  anything  but  he  takes  the  profits 
and  you  do  all  the  work.  When  grain  is  high  you  must  get  more  for  your 
squabs  than  you  do  at  other  times.  The  trouble  with  many  squab  raisers 
we  have  found  is  that  they  have  no  actual  knowledge  of  what  it  costs  them 
to  raise  a  dozen  squabs.  You  must  arrive  at  your  cost  of  product  absolutely 
and  when  you  do  it  is  folly  to  sell  squabs  for  that  figure  or  less.  You  must 
put  them  out  at  a  profit  or  else  go  out  of  the  business.  Our  best  customers 
are  those  who  have  sense  enough  to  sell  to  a  private  trade  or  to  first-class 
wholesalers,  and  this  must  be  your  goal  in  every  case,  If  you  wish  to  make 
the  most  money,  get  right  after  your  private  trade  until  you  secure  it,  as 
this  is  unlimited.  People  who  are  accustomed  to  eating  chicken,  as  they 
are  in  every  part  of  the  country,  will  eat  squabs.  If  they  do  not,  it  is  your 
fault.  You  must  tell  them  what  a  squab  is  and  show  them,  and  induce 
them  to  buy  and  eat  them.  If  they  do  not  know  what  a  squab  is,  you  must 
demonstrate. 

HOW  TO  KILL  CATS. 

A  kitten  brought  up  in  a  squab  house  will  make  no  trouble.  We  raise 
two  or  three  kittens  every  year  at  Melrose  and  give  them  the  run  of  the  pigeon 
houses,  and  such  cats  are  intelligent  enough  not  to  try  to  reach  the  squabs. 
Of  all  the  cats  we  have  raised  we  have  had  only  one  which  we  were  obliged 
to  shoot  because  of  squab  stealing. 

Cats  belonging  to  the  neighbors  may  cause  some  trouble  in  your  squab 
house  if  you  give  them  a  chance  to  get  in.  A  customer  in  Ohio  has  found 
a  way  to  kill  visiting  cats.  He  does  not  like  to  have  them  around  the  squab 
house  trying  to  get  in  so  he  puts  exposed  wires  on  the  top  of  the  flying  pen 
and  when  the  cats  walk  around  on  the  top  of  the  pen,  looking  for  a  chance 
to  get  at  the  pigeons  inside,  he  throws  a  switch  in  the  basement.  A  strong 
current  of  electricity  shoots  through  the  wires.  The  body  of  the  cat  makes 
a  short  circuit  from  one  wire  to  the  other  so  the  charge  of  electricity  passes 
through  the  cat.  The  result  is  that  the  cat  tumbles  off  in  double  quick  time 
and  starts  for  the  tall  timber,  if  alive.  He  says  he  has  electrocuted  two  and 
still  has  his  hand  near  the  switch. 

BREEDING  TRUE  TO  COLOR. 

No  colored  Homers  breed  true  to  color.  We  mean  by  this  that  if  you 
start  with  the  blue-barred  Homers,  for  example,  and  breed  them,  you  will 
in  time  get  from  these  blue-barred  birds  all  the  other  colors,  such  as  blue- 
checkers,  red-checkers,  silvers,  etc.  All  these  colors  are  in  the  blood  and 


248         NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB  BOOK 

they  will  come  put  in  time  if  you  give  them  time  enough.  Some  pairs  are 
eccentric  in  their  breeding.  A  certain  pair  of  blue-barred  birds  may  breed 
blue  bars,  whereas  another  pair  of  blue  bars  may  breed  one  blue-barred  squab 
and  one  blue-checkered  squab,  or  any  other  color,  and  this  variation  may 
be  characteristic  of  this  breeding  for  quite  a  period.  It  is  impossible  to  pre- 
dict absolutely. 

Our  white  Homers  breed  true  to  color.  If  you  buy  white 'Homers  of  us 
and  breed  them,  the  squabs  will  be  white-feathered  constantly  and  will  not 
be  blue  barred  or  blue  checkered,  or  any  other  color,  except  very  rarely. 

SULPHUR  OR  IRON  WATER. 

Parties  write  us  from  different  sections  of  the  country  stating  that  the 
water  where  they  live  contains  sulphur  and  others  write  that  the  water 
contains  iron.  For  example,  on  the  East  coast  of  Florida  about  half-way 
down,  all  the  water  is  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphur.  Breeders  write 
us  to  know  if  this  sulphur  water  is  all  right  for  pigeons.  To  this  we  reply 
yes,  when  they  get  accustomed  to  it.  If  when  you  get  your  pigeons  you 
find  that  this  sulphur  or  iron  water  is  affecting  them,  stop  it  and  give  the 
birds  rain  water.  Rain  water  is  absolutely  pure  water  containing  no  mineral 
substances  whatever,  except  the  trifling  amount  of  dust  which  may  get  in 
as  the  rain  water  runs  down  a  roof  before  it  gets  into  a  rain-barrel  or  cistern. 
It  is  always  safe  to  give  this  rain  water  to  pigeons  and  you  can  introduce 
them  to  your  sulphur  or  iron  water  as  slowly  as  you  please,  by  adding  the 
sulphur  or  iron  water  to  the  rain  water  from  day  to  day  until  the  mixture 
is  finally  all  sulphur  or  iron  water.  This  will  accustom  the  birds  to  the  new 
water  and  before  long  you  will  have  no  need  of  using  the  rain  water. 

PIGEONS  THAT  FLY  AWAY. 

In  every  day's  mail,  two  or  three  letters  and  often  more  recount  the  story 
that  the  writers  have  accidentally  left  open  the  doors  of  their  squab  houses 
or  the  doors  of  their  flying  pens;  or  that  some  other  accident  has  happened 
so  that  some  of  the  pigeons  have  flown  away  from  the  premises.  Customers 
writing  from  as  far  as  California  tell  us  this  and  sometimes  telegraph  us  and 
wish  us  to  catch  these  birds  as  soon  as  they  reappear  at  Melrose  and  send 
them  back  by  express.  The  capacity  for  flight  of  a  Homer  does  not  seem 
to  be  a  matter  of  well-defined  knowledge,  so  we  will  say  here  that  flights  of 
over  500  miles  for  a  homing  pigeon  are  very  rare.  We  have  no  cases  'on 
record  of  flights  of  homing  pigeons  even  from  Ohio  or  Illinois  to  New  York 
or  Massachusetts.  It  is  incredible  that  a  homing  pigeon  would  get  back 
to  its  native  place  after  a  flight  of  two  or  three  thousand  miles.  Birds 
which  have  been  imported  would  make  no  attempt  to  fly  back  across  the 
ocean  or  to  the  shipping  point,  so  if  you  lose  any  of  your  pigeons  out  of 
your  coop,  the  best  you  can  do  is  to  hope  that  they  will  return,  as  quite 
often  they  do.  Recently  we  recall  a  case  where  a  customer  lost  nine  birds 
which  flew  away  but  five  of  them  returned  and  went  inside  the  house. 

Once  again  we  repeat,  hoping  it  will  catch  the  eyes  of  so  many  who  write 
us,  that  any  Homers  which  you  buy  you  must  keep  wired  in  all  the  time, 
otherwise  they  will  fly  away  and  leave  you.  By  all  the  time  we  mean  day 
after  day,  week  after  week,  month  after  month,  year  after  year,  continually 
and  perpetually,  as  long  as  the  pigeons  live.  You  cannot  feed  them  for  a 
month  or  so  and  then  let  them  out  and  think  that  they  will  stay  with  you. 


APPENDIX    F  249 

They  have  a  yearning  and  a  longing,  the  homing  instinct,  to  try  to  get  back 
to  the  place  where  they  were  bred. 

Any  Homers  which  you  breed  yourself  you  can  safely  let  fly  because  they 
know  no  home  but  yours  and  will  stay  with  you.  If  you  have  a  mixed 
flock  of  Homers  including  not  only  those  which  you  have  raised  but  some 
you  have  bought,  you  cannot  let  them  out  with  any  certainty  that  those 
you  have  raised  will  hold  on  your  premises  those  which  you  have  bought. 
It  is  quite  possible  that  those  which  were  raised  elsewhere  will  leave  you. 

NO  COAL  ASHES. 

About  every  household  here  in  the  North  burns  coal  and  the  problem  of 
getting  rid  of  the  ashes  is  considerable  to  many  people  who  do  not  live  in 
the  city  where  the  city  wagons  call  to  take  them  away.  The  result  is  that 
we  have  hundreds  of  letters  asking  if  coal  ashes  can  be  put  in  the  flying  pen 
of  the  squab  house. 

Coal  ashes  should  not  be  put  in  the  flying  pens  where  the  birds  can  peck 
at  them,  because  they  are  irritating  to  the  mouths  and  other  insides  of  the 
birds.  It  is  all  right  to  put  down  a  layer  of  coal  ashes  in  a  pen  for  the  founda- 
tion if  you  want  to  get  rid  of  a  lot  of  coal  ashes,  but  on  top  of  these  ashes 
a  layer  of  gravel  should  be  put  down  from  four  to  six  inches  thick  and  the 
top  of  this  gravel  should  be  renewed  every  three  or  four  months. 

TEMPORARY  PEN  AND  BREEDING  PEN. 

It  is  very  necessary  to  avoid  having  odd  or  unmatched  birds  at  liberty  in 
the  loft  during  the  time  the  other  birds  are  either  mating  or  breeding.  If 
there  be  but  one  such  bird  in  the  loft,  be  it  male  or  female,  it  will  be  sure  to 
cause  disturbance  among  the  mated  birds,  either  by  getting  mated  to  some 
bird  you  have  had  great  trouble  to  get  mated  to  your  wishes,  or  by  causing 
continual  fighting,  resulting  in  many  broken  eggs  or  dead  young  ones.  All 
odd  birds  should  therefore  be  either  kept  up  in  pens  or  in  a  loft  by  themselves 
during  the  breeding  season.  For  the  same  reasons,  three  or  four  pairs  of 
newly-mated  birds  should  not  be  turned  into  the  loft  together.  If  they  are, 
there  will  certainly  be  quarreling,  as  two  or  more  pairs  will  want  to  take  the 
same  nest  box,  which  will  often  be  the  cause  of  pairs  getting  unmatched, 
and  remated  in  a  manner  which  is  not  desirable.  To  avoid  this,  each  pair 
as  they  are  mated  should  be  turned  into  the  loft  singly,  when  they  will  select 
one  of  the  unoccupied  boxes,  and  go  on  quietly.  It  is  very  rarely  necessary, 
if  this  plan  be  pursued,  to  adopt  any  measures  for  inducing  a  pair  to  take 
a  proper  nest,  supposing  there  be  one  at  disposal;  but  if  any  trouble  be 
anticipated,  any  kind  of  a  cage  of  lath  or  wire  may  be  fixed  to  the  front  of 
the  breeding  box,  and  the  birds  then  confined  for  a  few  days  in  sight  of  the 
rest  of  the  loft,  till  they  have  got  thoroughly  used  to  their  new  abode.  We 
can  hardly  remember  an  instance,  however,  where  such  a  plan  was  necessary, 
unless  the  breeding  places  were  so  numerous  and  so  much  alike  as  to  puzzle 
the  birds.  In  this  case  the  plan  we  prefer  is  to  make  some  distinction  at 
the  entrances :  thus,  a  half -brick  may  be  placed  at  one  hole ;  and  passing  the 
next,  something  else  at  the  next  alternate  one,  by  which  the  birds  will  readily 
learn  their  proper  breeding- places.  One  more  caution  must  be  added  in  regard 
to  mating  the  birds.  It  frequently  happens  that,  on  account  of  proved  sterling 
qualities,  it  is  desired  to  breed  from  an  old  pigeon  as  long  as  any  fertile  eggs 
can  be  obtained  from  him ;  and  this  can  only  be  done  by  matching  him  with 


PLYMOUTH  ROCK  EXTRA  HOMER  MALE 
250 


APPENDIX   F  251 

a  very  young  hen.  Such  a  pair  will  frequently  breed  well;  and  we  have 
had  fine  strong  young  ones  from  an  old  Barb  over  ten  years  of  age,  which 
won  many  prizes.  But  it  is  in  such  cases  particularly  needful  to  avoid 
having  in  the  same  loft  any  lively  young  cock  with  a  strong  voice,  for  if  this 
be  the  case,  the  young  hen  will  frequently  leave  her  eggs  to  reach  and  pair 
with  the  young  bird,  even  though  he  be  already  mated,  and  thus  all  the 
owner's  plans  are  liable  to  be  frustrated.  For  although  pigeons  as  a  rule 
pair  with  great  fidelity,  exceptions  are  by  no  means  rare;  and  cases  have 
been  known  in  which  a  cock  has  mated  with  two  hens,  and  even  assisted 
both  in  hatching  and  rearing  their  young;  while  we  once  possessed  a  cock 
which,  though  he  never  aided  them  in  family  duties,  regularly  paired  with  no 
less  than  five  hens.  This  case  being  so  very  remarkable,  we  took  particular 
notice  of  it,  and  can  vouch  for  the  truth  of  what  we  state.  To  the  naturalist 
such  instances  are  particularly  interesting;  as  showing  that,  under  some 
circumstances,  pigeons  might  possibly  become  gregarious  like  poultry. 

The  above  paragraph  we  have  taken  word  for  word  from  the  writings 
of  Mr.  Fulton,  the  best  English  authority,  to  which  our  attention  was  first 
called  in  December,  1908.  Readers  of  this  Manual  will  note  that  his  ideas, 
correspond  with  ours — indeed,  such  things  are  not  a  matter  of  opinion, 
they  are  a  matter  of  fact.  What  one  observer  sees,  another  will  see.  In 
the  light  of  the  above,  how  absurd  it  is  for  a  pigeon  tradesman  to  represent 
in  his  advertisements  or  printed  matter  that  he  controls  the  matings  or  love 
affairs  of  his  birds  to  the  extent  of  assuring  the  probable  purchaser  that  they 
are  absolutely  and  irrevocably  "  married  for  life,"  "  mated  absolutely-never- 
to-be-changed."  The  object  of  such  representation  is  to  convince  the 
probable  purchaser  that  the  pairs  will  go  to  work  in  a  new  home  exactly 
according  to  schedule  or  pre-arrangement,  and  that  all  he  has  to  do  is  to 
take  feed  and  water  to  them,  and  exchange  the  squabs  at  intervals  for  half- 
dollars.  Such  claims  are  made  with  the  intense  anxiety  of  consummating 
a  sale  by  assertions  just  a  little  more  plausible,  regardless  of  the  habits  of 
the  pigeons. 

TWIGS  FOR  NESTING  MATERIALS. 

Some  pairs  will  build  their  nests  entirely  or  partly  of  twigs,  if  given  the 
opportunity.  A  customer  in  New  York  read  of  pine  needles  in  this  book, 
so  thought  "of  twigs.  He  put  in  half  a  bushel  or  so  of  dry  old  hemlock  twigs. 
All  used  them  and  one  pair  made  their  nest  wholly  of  them. 

Another  of  our  friends  states  that  he  has  solved  the  nesting  material 
proposition,  as  far  as  his  own  squab  raising  is  concerned  (pleasure  and  hobby). 
Instead  of  providing  the  birds  any  tobacco  stems,  or  other  nesting  material, 
he  does  not  give  them  anything,  except  to  fill  their  nappies  (or  the  little 
two-inch  deep  by  15-inch  square  boxes  that  he  has  for  them  to  build  in) 
with  sawdust,  or  fine  shavings  from  the  local  .saw  mill.  The  birds  do  well 
in  them,  and  when  he  takes  out  a  pair  of  squabs  for  the  nippers,  he  empties 
put  the  sawdust,  which  nearly  cleans  the  nappies  and  what  does  remain 
is  very  easily  removed  with  trowel  and  brush.  He  then  refills  them  with 
fresh  sawdust  or  fine  shavings,  and  they  are  ready  for  use  again.  He  has 
found  this  very  successful.  New  birds  have  to  get  used  to  the  change  but  it 
does  not  take  them  long  to  take  to  it.  Young  birds  of  course,  raised  in 
them,  do  not  know  anything  else. 


PLYMOUTH  ROCK  EXTRA  HOMER  FEMALE 
252 


APPENDIX    F  253 

CLAMORING  FOR  SQUABS  IN  THE  STATE  OF  WASHINGTON. 

The  squab  market  in  the  Northwest  corner  of  the  United  States  at  this 
writing  (1909)  continues  to  be  wonderfully  strong.  Our  attention  is  called 
to  this  from  time  to  time  by  correspondents  in  the  State  of  Washington. 
Apparently  there  is  no  limit  to  the  demand,  there,  as  in  the  other  great 
States.  We  were  surprised  in  September,  1908,  to  receive  the  following 
letter  from  the  president  of  a  hotel  company  in  Seattle,  proprietors  of  one 
of  the  best  hotels  west  of  the  Mississippi  river: 

Kindly  send  me  a  half  dozen  of  your  pamphlets,  covering  the  growing  of  squabs.  I  wish 
to  send  these  to  the  small  towns  contiguous  to  Seattle — that  is  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
of  each  town,  to  be  directed  to  the  right  parties  who  would  want  to  engage  in  this  business. 
Quite  a  number  have  expressed  their  desire  to  do  so.  We  are  anxious  to  receive  nice  squabs 
and  will  pay  a  good  price.  Thanking  you  in  advance  for  the  pamphlets. 

We  thought  it  surprising  that  a  hotel  man  should  be  inquiring  for  squabs 
in  such  an  insistent  manner  and  asked  him  for  details.  He  replied  under 
date  of  September  26,  1908,  as  follows: 

I  am  in  receipt  of  your  treatise  on  squabs,  likewise  the  booklets.  I  have  advertised  in  a 
number  of  country  papers  where  the  farmers  are  liable  to  take  up  this  matter,  informing  them 
that  they  can  increase  their  income  and  to  write  me  and  that  I  will  send  them  a  booklet.  I  will 
send  you  later  on  a  copy  of  the  advertisement.  There  is  no  reason  that  a  number  of  farmers 
should  not  take  up  this  work,  as  I  should  think  the  extra  grain  they  would  have  around  for 
food  would  practically  cost  them  very  little. 

Under  date  of  October  9,  he  wrote  us  again  the  following  letter: 

Inasmuch  as  your  circulars  have  all  been  used,  we  would  ask  you  to  send  us  about  a  couple 
of  dozen  more.  We  are  advertising  in  the  papers  as  per  enclosed  clipping,  and  have  received 
many  responses,  which  we  think  should  bring  you  results. 

The  newspaper  clipping  showing  how  this  hotel  man  was  trying  to  stimulate 
the  squab  production  was  as  follows : 

WHY  DON'T  YOU  RAISE  SQUABS? 
You  have  enough  waste  feed  to  do  so 
without  extra  cost,  We  will  tell  you 
how  and  buy  all  you  have — it  will  add 
largely  to  your  income. 

In  a  letter  dated  October  24,  he  explained  his  intentions  more  fully  as 
follows : 

In  response  to  your  recent  favor,  I  beg  to  state  the  only  object  that  we  have  in  securing 
persons  to  raise  squabs  is  that  we  may  get  sufficient  to  meet  our  demands.  At  the  present  time 
we  find  it  difficult,  just  when  we  want  squabs,  to  receive  as  many  as  we  have  a  demand  for. 

My  idea  in  advertising  this  in  the  paper  was  to  not  alone  derive  a  personal  benefit,  but  to 
help  the  country  along  in  general.  We  should  all  be  up-builders,  particularly  in  the  West. 

We  give  this  correspondence  here  the  publicity  it  deserves  and  hope  that 
our  friends,  old  and  new,  in  the  State  of  Washington,  will  take  hold  ener- 
getically and  give  this  hotel  man,  and  the  other  squab  consumers  in  Seattle, 
the  Plymouth  Rock  squabs  for  which  they  are  so  eager.  Evidently  the  State 
of  Seattle  is  so  prosperous  with  big  enterprises  that  squab  raising  has  to  wait 
its  turn  and  now  is  a  sort  of  spare  time  money-maker.  We  feel  confident, 
however,  that  there  must  be  a  large  number  of  people  in  the  State  of  Wash- 
ington who  are  not  too  busy  to  overlook  a  good  thing  of  such  promise,  and 
they  will  be  encouraged  to  go  ahead  after  reading  the  above  correspondence. 


254         NATIONAL  STANDARD  SQUAB   BOOK 

Our  shipments  of  breeding  stock  in  1908  to  this  State  were  quite  large,  fully 
as  much  volume  as  to  California. 

A  correspondent  in  Acosta,  Washington,  wrote  us  in  November,  1908: 

I  am  going  into  ths  squab  business  in  Washington  (Lewis  County).  Squabs  sell  in  Seattle 
and  Tacoma  markets  at  $2.50  and  $3.50  per  dozen,  and  the  market  is  not  supplied  ten  per  cent 
of  the  demand.  I  have  15  acres  to  devote  to  this  business. 

OKLAHOMA  AND  INDIAN  TERRITORY. 

If  a  stranger  to  the  poultry  and  squab  industry  were  asked  to  name  a 
section  of  the  United  States  where  chickens  and  squabs  probably  would  sell 
the  slowest,  he  might  name  Oklahoma  and  the  Indian  Territory.  In  this 
judgment  he  would  fall  into  considerable  error,  for  the  people  there  are  just 
as  enterprising  and  just  as  fond  of  good  things  to  eat  as  they  are  in  the  East, 
although  there  may  not  be  so  many  of  them.  Witness  the  following  letter 
to  us  dated  June  27,  1908,  from  a  prospective  customer  in  a  small  city  in  the 
Indian  Territory: 

Some  few  weeks  ago  I  wrote  you  for  catalogue,  now  I  want  your  squab  book  and  you  will 
find  enclosed  50  cents  in  stamps  to  pay  for  same.  How  many  pairs  would  you  advise  me  to 
start  with  ?  The  Almeda  Hotel  says  they  can  handle  from  four  to  ten  dozen  a  day.  This  hotel 
is  the  leading  hotel  of  my  city. 

Four  to  ten  dozen  squabs  daily  is  going  some  for  one  hotel  in  the  Indian 
Territory. 

Concerning  Oklahoma,  one  of  the  leading  poultry,  butter,  eggs,  etc.,  houses 
in  Oklahoma  City  wrote  the  following  letter  to  one  of  our  friends  under  date 
of  March  14,  1908: 

In  regard  to  squabs,  will  say,  that  there  are  not  any  handled  around  here  to  speak  of.  There 
is  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  a  paying  business,  if  some  one  would  start  here  who  understands 


it  fully,  and  turned  out  a  good  article,  just  at  proper  age  and  of  good  quality,  etc.     No  reason 
why  a  good  demand  could  not  be  worked  up  for  them  here.     If  at  any  time  you  should  rz ' 
more  than  you  could  put  out  locally,  we  could  undoubtedly  find  a  good  "market"  for  them,  as 


are  shipping  out  of  here  in  carload  lots  weekly  to  New  York  City  and  California.     Will  be  glad 
to  give  you  any  further  information  and  have  you  write  us. 

In  other  words,  the  demand  waits  on  the  supply.  Get  busy,  Oklahoma 
folks.  Grain  is  cheaper  for  you  than  for  us  here  in  the  East  and  if  you  may 
not  succeed  in  getting  New  York  prices  for  your  squabs,  you  will  make  as 
much  money  as  squab  farmers  here. 


TWO  YEARS'  WORK  IN  MAINE.     From  MOST    PRACTICAL    BOOK    SHE    EVER 

18  pairs  of  your  Extra  stock  that  I  bought  a  READ.     The  National  Standard  Squab  Book 

little  over  two  years  ago,   I  now  have   300  is  a  most  satisfactory  treatment  of  the  subject 

mated  pairs  and  at  least  50  pairs  that  will  of  squab  raising.     It  seems    to  me  to  be  the 

be  mated  very  soon. — F.  R.,  Maine.  most  practical  book  I  have  ever  read  on  any 

subject. — Mrs.  E.  G.  W.,  Washington. 

GREAT    SATISFACTION.     I    am    pleased 

to  be  able  to  ad  vise  you  that  the  pigeons  which  HOW  A  RETAIL  TRADE   GROWS.     My 

I   purchased   from   you   are  giving   me   great  Plymouth   Rock   Homers   are   doing   well.     I 

satisfaction    as  they  have  really  doubled  m  am  selli      some  of  the  squabs.     One  customer 

number  and  the  squabs  have  been  very  heavy,  gets  another,  so  I  have  orders  for  all  I  can 

healthy,  delicious.     I  am  sure  that  you  will  s            t  present._ Q.  R.,  Michigan. 
be    pleased    to    hear    the    above    report — 

TWO  YEARS'  BREEDING  IN  IDAHO. 

MINNESOTA   GROWTH.     I   have   a   nice  We  take  advantage  of  the  present  (February, 

little  plant  of  about  250  pairs  from  the  stock  1908)   to  thank  you  again  for  the  excellent 

I  bought  from  you  some  two  years  ago. —  quality  of  birds  sent  us  in  June,  '06. — J.  W, 

M.  H.,  Minnesota.  Idaho. 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


THIS  CUSTOMER  IS  A  TIN  ROOFER  AND  MAKES  GOOD  WAGES  BUT  HAS  FOUND  OUT 
THAT  HIS  TIME  IS  WORTH  MORE  RAISING  GOOD  SQUABS.  I  will  try  and  give  you  an 
account  of  how  my  birds  are  doing  in  the  Scate  of  West  Virginia.  About  18  months  ago  I  saw 
the  advertisement  of  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company  in  a  magazine  and  I  decided  to  try  a 
small  lot  of  birds.  I  first  wrote  for  literature,  then  sent  fifty  cents  for  a  Manual,  which  I  got  by 
return  mail,  and  would  not  take  $5  for  it  now.  As  soon  as  I  got  my  book  I  sent  for  six  pairs 
of  Extra  Homers,  and  to  say  they  were  fine  would  not  begin  to  express  my  opinion  of  them. 
They  were  the  finest  birds  I  ever  saw  and  every  one  says  the  same.  I  built  a  small  house  6  by 
6  feet  for  them  at  first,  but  soon  had  to  build  a  larger  one.  I  have  a  house  10  x  12  with  a  12  x  20 
foot  fly,  but  this  is  too  small  now.  I  am  trying  to  get  a  place  in  the  country  near  town  and  will 
go  into  the  squab  business  right.  I  have  had  my  birds  about  15  months,  have  had  180  birds 
hatched  and  have  about  30  mated  pairs  now.  I  have  sold  all  my  squabs  since  March  1  at  $3 
per  dozen.  One  hotel  takes  all  I  have  and  could  handle  three  prfour  times  as  many.  I  sell  about 
a  dozen  a  week.  Feed  is  very  high  here,  but  there  certainly  is  money  in  them  anyhow.  I  have 
one  pair  that  I  bought  of  you  that  I  have  kept  careful  account  of  since  they  started  to  work. 
They  went  to  work  the  week  after  I  got  them,  and  have  laid  and  set  every  month  since.  They 
have  hatched  and  raised  26  squabs,  having  lost  two-  eggs,  and  today  are  building  for  the  15th 
time.  If  all  were  like  them,  I  certainly  would  make  the  best  record  ever  known.  I  have  lost 
a  few  eggs  and  three  or  four  young  birds  that  were  two  or  three  davs  old,  but  1  think  that  is 
a  very  small  loss.  I  hope  to  get  a  location  soon  for  I  am  convinced  that  there  is  good  pay  in 
raising  squabs.  I  advise  any  one  who  is  thinking  of  going  into  the  business  to  buy  their  stock 
of  Mr.  Rice,  for  I  consider  him  a  perfect  gentleman  and  as  for  the  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers, 
I  cannot  say  too  much  for  them.  They  beat  anything  1  ever  saw.  My  birds  are  producing 
about  nine  pairs  of  squabs  per  pair,  per  year.  The  average  weight  of  the  squabs  is  ten  pounds 
per  dozen,  which  I  consider  very  good.  I  hope  to  be  able  to  send  an  order  for  more  breeders 
before  the  fall  and  they  certainfy  will  be  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  I  am  a  tin  roofer  by 


trade  and  make  very  good  wages,  but  a  squab  plant  of  a  thousand  pairs  I  know  will  pay  me  much 
better.  I  use  the  self-feeder  and  your  drinking  fountain  and  find  them  perfectly  satisfactory. 
I  use  tobacco  stems  and  straw  for  nesting  material.  —  W.  M.  C.,  West  Virginia. 


FOUND  INSTRUCTIONS  CLEAR  AND 
CONVINCING.  I  thank  you  for  your  courtesy 
of  September  22,  and  it  is  just  what  I  wanted 
to  know.  I  am  so  situated  in  regard  to  my 
present  occupation  that  I  cannot  do  anything 
before  this  time  next  year  and  then  I  hope  to 
place  my  order  with  you  for  300  pairs  of  your 
Extra  Plymouth  Rock  breeders  and  10  pair 
of  the  red  Carneaux.  I  know  you  must  be  a 
busy  man,  but  I  wish  to  tell  you  I  have  been 
looking  over  every  field  that  I  know  of  for 
a  man  with  $1000  to  $1500. 

I  spent  $10  for  poultry  information  which 
was  so  contradictory  that  I  threw  them  all 
into  the  Atlantic  and  vowed  never  to  have 
one  near  me.  I  then  got  your  information, 
and  everything  has  been  so  clear  and  concise 
that  I  have  no  hesitancy  in  knowing  what  I 
will  do.  The  plans  enclosed  from  you  were 
about  what  I  had  figured  out  for  myself, 
only  I  had  given  more  room  and  consequently 
would  have  made  the  cost  more  if  I  had  not 
spent  50  cents  for  your  Manual  and  10  cents 
for  your  plans.  By  so  doing  I  consider  I 
saved,  or  rather,  will  save,  from  $75  to  $100 
on  my  pens  and  buildings. 

Pardon  this  long-winded  letter,  but  I  feel 
that  apart  from  your  trying  to  sell  your  stock 
to  a  probable  customer  I  think  all  the  more 
of  you  and  your  business  methods,  and  know 
you  will  give  me  all  you  represent  your  stock 
to  be  when  the  time  comes.  Wish  you  and 
the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company  all  the 
success  you  deserve,  and  that  squabs  will 
be  eaten  by  a  larger  number  of  people. — • 
R.  H.  W.,  New  York. 


MARKET  FOR  SQUABS  IS  LOW  IN  HIS 
PART  OF  TEXAS  BECAUSE  BREEDERS 
DO  NOT  PUT  UP  PRICES.  "  I  got  my 
pigeons  from  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab 
Co.,"  is  the  proud  answer  I  give  to  any  one 
asking  me  where  I  got  my  pigeons.  When  I 
tell  them  that  I  started  with  only  12  and  have 
raised  about  150,  they  say  I  have  done 
wonderfully.  Some  other  squab  raisers 
around  me  have  not  raised  half  that  many 
in  twice  that  time.  (They  have  common 
pigeons,  that  is  the  secret  of  it.)  My  pigeons 
have  fully  repaid  me.  I  think  they  are  25 
per  cent  better  than  any  Homers  around  me. 
My  birds  raise  from  seven  to  nine  pairs  per 
year  and  I  can  sell  all  I  can  raise.  I  have 
about  100  breeders  and  they  keep  me  stocked 
very  well.  The  market  prices  down  here  are 
very  low.  They  have  been  used  to  common 
squabs  and  do  not  know  what  is  good,  but 
I  am  going  to  raise  the  price  all  I  can.  It  is 
only  $1.25  to  $1.50  and  I  hope  to  raise  it  to 
$2.50.  My  squabs  weigh  from  10  to  12 
pounds  to  the  dozen.  I  have  a  self-feeder 
like  the  one  in  your  Manual.  I  feed  them  a 
mixture  of  wheat  and  corn.  I  have  followed 
your  Manual  strictly  and  have  not  departed 
from  it  in  any  way,  and  let  me  say  right 
here  that  any  one  (even  of  those  who  do  not 
know  a  thing  about  squabs)  can  take  youi; 
Manual  and  read  it  through,  follow  it  care- 
fully and  make  a  success.  They  are  bound 
to  make  a  success.  I  think  the  squab  busi- 
ness is  a  great  one  and  is  increasing  every  day. 
I  have  not  had  sickness  of  any  kind.  I  can 
sell  at  home  all  I  raise.  —  W.  P.  C.,  Texas. 


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FLYING  PEN  OF  A  BARN. 

This  New  Jersey  breeder's  story  is  on  this  page.  At  the  top  of  the  next  page  one  of  the  ladies  of  his  household 
is  shown  holding  a  nest  bowl  in  which  are  three  squabs  from  one  hatch,  two  days  old. 

LOST  ONLY  ONE  OLD  BIRD  AND  THREE  SQUABS  IN  FIVE  MONTHS'  BREEDING.     I 

have  had,  I  think,  remarkable  success  with  the  birds  so  far,  and  thought  possibly  you  would 
be  pleased  to  hear  it.  The  loss  of  one  bird  in  the  first  lot  shipped  has  been  my  entire  mis- 
fortune, with  the  exception  of  three  squabs,  which  I  think  the  parent  birds  neglected.  I  have 
in  the  neighborhood  now  (August,  1908)  of  about  200  birds.  Kind  regards  to  your  Mr.  Rice. 

For  breeding  my  flock,  I  have  used  about  half  my  stable  and  have  not  oeen  troubled  with 
either  mice  or  rats,  as  I  built  another  floor  over  the  old  one,  raising  the  same  about  18  inches, 
and  do  not  think  that  there  is  any  way  for  the  rats  to  get  at  the  birds;  besides  I  have  three 
cats  that  spend  part  of  each  day  under  the  floors.  You  will  see  from  the  pictures  that  I  have 
five  units.  They  measure  10  by  12,  with  a  three-foot  passage  in  the  centre.  Watering,  but 
not  feeding,  is  done  from  this  passage. 

You  are  very  welcome  indeed  to  use  my  name,  and  you  cannot  write  a  letter  too  strong  for 
me  to  endorse,  referring  to  the  treatment,  etc.,  received  at  your  hands,  also  the  quality  of  the 
birds  delivered  me  and  the  results  obtained  from  them. — J.  W.  H.,  New  Jersey. 


HIGH-PRICED  MARKET  IN  SARATOGA 
SPRINGS,  NEW  YORK.  I  like  the  National 
Standard  Squab  Book  very  well,  as  it  plainly 
but  fully  tells  everything  necessary  to  know 
in  the  squab  business  and  it  becomes  very 
useful  to  the  pigeon  fancier.  There  are 
boarding  houses  here  in  Saratoga  Springs 
that  pay  $6  a  dozen  for  squabs  from  common 
pigeons,  for  I  have  sold  them. — C.  N.  G., 
New  York. 


SQUAB  BUSINESS  IN  MONTANA  IS  ALL 
RIGHT.  Please  find  enclosed  ten  cents  in 
stamps,  for  which  mail  me  one  copy  of  your 

Flans  and  specifications  for  squab  house, 
am  building  new  and  larger  quarters  in  the 
country  and  wish  to  build  right.  Seven  of  the 
Homers  I  obtained  from  you  escaped  from 
my  pen  in  town,  five  returned.  I  have  raised 
some  beauties  from  my  original  stock.  The 
squab  business  is  all  right. — R.  C.,  Montana. 


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THREE  SQUABS  HATCHED  INT  ONE  NEST. 


BUILT  HIS  OWN  HOUSE  IN  WASHING- 
TON (D.  C.),  FOR  TWENTY  DOLLARS  LESS 
THAN  OUR  ESTIMATE.  I  have  a  house 
constructed  of  all  new  material  12x16  and 
nine  feet  to  peak,  seven  feet  to  eaves,  divided 
into  two  rooms  8x9,  a  fly  8x16x18  divided 
down  the  center  (doing  all  the  work  myself). 
Everything,  including  birds  from  you,  cost 
me  just  $47.58  or  about  $20  less  than  your 
estimate,  not  so  bad  for  a  starter?  I  had  a 
party  call  at  my  house,  he  hearing  that  I  was 
going  to  raise  squabs,  offering  me  $3  per 
dozen  the  year  round.  He  will  have  to  come 
again,  as  $3  will  not  get  mine. — C.  C.  B., 
District  of  Columbia. 

CATHOLIC  SISTERS  RAISING  SQUABS 
FOR  THE  PATIENTS  IN  THEIR  HOSPITAL 
IN  CHICAGO.  We  do  not  sell  any  of  the 
squabs  we  raise,  we  use  them  all  for  our 
patients.  We  intend  to  have  a  photograph 
of  our  coop  taken  in  order  to  let  you  see  it 
and  get  your  opinion  about  it. — Sister  M., 
Illinois. 


SELLING  OUT  IN  TEXAS  TO  MAKE 
ROOM  FOR  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS. 
Some  time  ago  I  purchased  a  Manual  from 
you  and  received  a  Special  Offer  on  your 
Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  As  it  was 
the  best  thing  I  heard  of,  and  as  I  know 
your  birds  by  their  reputation,  I  got  busy  and 
began  selling  my  stock  off  so  as  to  make  room 
for  a  sample  shipment  of  your  birds.  I  sold 
one  customer  in  an  inland  village  $10  worth 
of  my  birds  and  when  he  remitted  it  was  the 
whole  amount  in  two-cent  stamps.  What 
I  wish  to  ask,  Mr.  Rice,  is  will  you  take,  say 
$5  worth  of  them  off  my  hands  ? — L.  S.,  Texas. 

ENLARGING   TO    A   TEN-UNIT  HOUSE. 

Last  September  I  bought  some  breeders  from 
you  and  same  are  doing  nicely.  As  I  want 
to  enlarge  my  house,  having  bought  a  new. 
place,  I  would  kindly  request  you  to  send  me 
as  soon  as  possible  a  set  of  plans  as  per  your 
offer  in  your  Manual  for  a  ten-unit  house. 
Also  send  me  some  of  your  grit  as  per  en- 
closed memorandum. — C.  R.,  Conn. 


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COMMON  PIGEONS  A  FAILURE.  REMARKABLE  DEMONSTRATION  OF  WHAT  FOUR 
PAIRS  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  WILL  DO  IN  TEXAS.  In  February,  1907,  I  purchased  12  pairs 
of  common  pigeons  from  a  friend,  expecting  to  clear  as  large  a  profit  from  them  as  I  could  from 
the  Homers.  However,  we  soon  found  the  difference  for  when  we  sold  out  about  six  months 
later,  I  am  positive  we  did  not  sell  more  than  15  pairs  altogether,  that  is  to  say,  most  of  our 
squabs  died  or  did  not  hatch.  About  the  end  of  October,  1907,  I  received  four  pairs  of  Number 
One  Homers  from  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company.  About  November  15  I  got  two  pairs 
started  and  later  on  the  other  two  started.  I  now  (May,  1908)  have  50  squabs  and  breeders 
and  all  our  pairs  are  setting  again.  I  have  15  pairs  mated.  I  never  saw  anything  like  it.  1 
have  never  seen  any  birds  to  equal  ours  in  any  respect.  Our  squabs  are  large  and  healthy, 
weighing  not  less  than  eight  pounds  to  the  dozen.  I  keep  a  careful  record  of  the  breeders  and 
they  average  eight  or  nine  pairs  to  the  year.  We  do  not  know  the  price  of  them,  as  we  have 
never  sold  any,  but  a  friend  of  ours  sold  them  at  $4.80  a  dozen.  These  were  common  and 
Homers  mixed  and  I  am  sure  that  if  he  makes  money  off  of  those  poor  breeders,  we  ought  to 
make  more  off  your  prolific  birds.  We  have  fed  corn,  Kaffir  corn,  wheat  and  a  little  millet. 
As  we  have  followed  your  Manual  as  closely  as  possible,  we  have  had  no  trouble  with  lice.  We 
had  two  cases  qf  canker,  but  we  did  what  you  advised  and  had  no  further  trouble.  I  have  not 
kept  account  of  "expenditures,  but  I  know  that  the  birds  have  well  paid  for  themselves.  My 
ideas  of  the  birds  and  the  business  are  O.  K.,  and  in  the  future  I  expect  to  raise  more  pigeons. 
You  may  be  sure  they  will  be  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  as  they  are  the  best.  I  would  have  had 
no  idea  of  the  pigeon  business  had  it  not  been  for  vour  Manual.  I  can  tell  you  that  it  is  all 
right  and  any  one  would  be  lost  without  it.  I  will  always  praise  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab 
Company  in  the  highest  terms.  (I  forgot  to  mention  above  that  on  account  of  our  house  being 
improperly  built  some  small  animal  got  through  a  hole  and  took  eggs  and  squabs.  This  hap- 
pened three  times  but  not  any  more).  —  E.  G.  R.,  Texas. 


SMALL  FLOCK  PAYING  A  GOOD  PROFIT. 

In  April,  1906,  I  bought  six  pairs  of  your 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and  in  just  one  year 
I  had  raised  85  birds.  In  May,  1907,  17 
months  after  my  first  purchase,  I  had  110  or 
55  pairs.  I  then  began  selling  squabs,  and 
in  the  eight  and  one-half  months  I  have  sold 
228  squabs  at  25  cents  each,  which  is  $57. 
I  kill  them  with  your  killing  machine,  hang 
them  up  as  your  Manual  teaches  and  bleed 
them.  I  do  not  have  time  to  dress  them, 
or  I  could  get  better  prices.  I  have  had  none 
that  weighed  less  than  eight  pounds,  and 
many  that  weighed  10  pounds  to  the  dozen. 
The  expense  of  feeding;  them  the  eight  and 
one-half  months  has  been  $33.15,  a  profit  of 
$21.35.  I  think  there  is  big  money  to  be 
made  raising  squabs.  I  keep  this  small  flock 
in  connection  with  35  chickens,  and  only  have 
time  outside  of  business  hours  to  look  after 
them,  which  is  ample. 

I  have  seen  lots  of  Homers,  nice-looking 
ones  too,  but  they  do  not  breed  as  fast  as 
mine.  I  follow  your  Manual,  in  fact,  all  1 
know  about  them  is  what  the  book  says.  I 
have  had  no  sickness  nor  lice,  simply  kept 
them  clean  and  fed  red  wheat,  cracked  corn, 
Kaffir  corn,  buckwheat,  hemp-seed,  millet, 
oyster  shells  and  plenty  of  good  sand.  My 
idea  of  successful  squab  raising  is  cleanliness, 
pure  feed  and  water,  and  attention  to  busi- 
ness.— C.  H.,  New  York. 

RAISING  TOBACCO  AND  PLYMOUTH 
ROCK  SQUABS.  We  grow  30,000  pounds 
of  tobacco  per  year  and  make  fresh  stems 
constantly,  bales  run  about  125  pounds. 
We  have  bought  our  first  Homers  from  you 
and  have  done  well.  I  am  glad  to  hear  from 
you  on  stems.  —  C.  H.  W.,  Connecticut. 


PERSONAL  INQUIRY  AND  ITS  RESULTS. 

I  am  a  member  of  All  Souls  Unitarian  Church 
of  Washington,  made  up  of  New  England 
people  largely,  and  many  of  them  Bostonians. 
Also  I  go  to  Greenacre  (Eliot,  Maine),  occa- 
sionally in  the  summer  to  speak  on  Emerson 
and  his  philosophy,  therefore  I  have  a  large 
acquaintance  up  your  way.  I  mentioned 
my  intention  in  a  social  group  of  going  into 
squab  raising  and  asked  incidentally  about 
your  place.  They  offered  to  get  me  the  re- 
port and  did  so,  but  I  do  not  know  the  channel. 
I  did  not  care  to  know  of  your  financial  con- 
dition, but  I  was  anxious  to  learn  of  your 
character  and  reputation.  The  report  was 
very  gratifying.  In  it  was  stated  that  you 
were  "gilt-edged  as  to  character  and  reputa- 
tion." It  made  me  feel  good  to  get  such  a 
report,  for  I  knew  I  could  safely  go  on  and 
enlarge  under  your  counsel  and  advice. 
Thank  you  for  your  offer  to  assist  me  when- 
ever I  may  call  on  you.  If  you  happen  down 
this  way,  try  to  see  me  either  at  the  Bureau 
of  Immigration  or  at  my  country  home  in 
Maryland,  half-way  between  Washington  and 
Baltimore,  where  we  shall  establish  our  plant. 
We  are  looking  for  a  suitable  piece  of  ground, 
say  10  or  20  acres,  where  we  shall  plant  a  good 
German  and  his  wife  and  make  it  pay  in  other 
respects. — J.  A.  C.,  District  of  Columbia. 


SQUABS  WEIGHING  OVER  ONE  POUND 
WHEN  THREE  WEEKS  OLD.  I  have  re- 
ceived the  female  Homer  in  good  shape.  It 
was  a  pretty  bird.  I  just  weighed  some  of  my 
squabs  which  are  not  quite  three  weeks  old 
and  they  weigh  over  one  pound.  I  expect 
to  order  some  more  birds  some  time  in 
spring. — H.  S.,  Pennsylvania. 


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ANY  OLD  PLACE  FIXED  OVER. 

Results  which  are  really  surprising  may  be  accomplished  in  quarters  such  as  these,  with  good  birds.  (See  the 
letter  from  the  North  Carolina  man  printed  below.) 

NO  BIRDS  ON  EXHIBITION  AT  THIS  NORTH  CAROLINA  FAIR  COULD  TOUCH  HIS 
PLYMOUTH  ROCKS.  I  received  from  you  April  2,  1908,  13  pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers.  I  have  raised  60  birds,  have  sold  12  squabs  and  have  lost  23,  and  I  think  that  is  doing 
well  for  six  months'  work.  They  have  bred  at  the  rate  of  four  pairs  per  month.  Some  are  slow , 
others  are  very  fast  indeed,  and  I  have  lost  about  18  eggs  on  account  of  not  having  enough  nest 
bowls,  but  have  since  put  in  more  and  will  soon  have  to  build.  My  house  is  of  my  own  con- 
struction, very  rough  indeed,  but  I  think  answers  the  purpose  very  well,  but  in  the  future 
will  build  according  to  your  plans  except  without  the  passageway. 

The  birds  I  received  from  you  and  those  I  have  raised  and  mated  are  indeed  hard  to  beat.  I 
have  not  seen  any  here  that  can  touch  them,  in  fact,  none  on  exhibition  at  the  fair  here  held 
October  13  to  16,  could  touch  mine.  The  squabs  at  killing  age  weigh  about  three-quarters  of  a 
pound  each.  Have  sold  only  one  dozen  squabs  to  people  who  are  sick  at  $2.50  per  dozen.  I 
have  fed  whole  corn,  cracked  corn,  Kaffir  corn,  Canada  peas,  a  little  red  wheat  and  a  little 
green  clover,  cabbage  cut  very  fine,  and  some  rice  and  hemp  seed  about  three  times  a  week. 
Cannot  say  that  I  haye  followed  your  Manual  in  every  detail.  Please  ship  at  once  the  enclosed 
order  for  feed.  My  birds  are  doing  exceedingly  fine  and  I  am  in  hopes  of  being  able  to  keep  them 
so.  I  am  well  pleased  with  the  squab  business  and  intend  to  go  into  it  for  a  living. — J.  A.  P., 
North  Carolina. 


A  WOMAN  WHO  GETS  HER  PRICE  FOR 
SQUABS  ALL  THE  YEAR.  The  people  who 
have  eaten  my  squabs  say  they  are  delicious, 
plump,  and  so  much  better  than  the  market 
ones.  I  am  getting  $4.80  a  dozen  for  them. 
That  is  my  price  no  matter  what  they  are  in 
the  market.  They  weigh  over  three-quarters 
of  a  pound  each. — Mrs.  E.  G.  A.,  New  Jersey. 


LOST  ONLY  ONE  BREEDING  PIGEON  IN 
THREE  YEARS.     I  have  had  my  Plymouth 

Rock  pigeons  three  years  in  July  and  have  had 
splendid  luck,  having  lost  only  one  banded 
pigeon  by  death,  and  one  flew  away.  I  have 
studied  the  Manual  and  got  lots  of  help  from 
it.  I  only  wish  I  had  more  room  to  keep 
more  birds.— M.  H.,  New  Jersey. 


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NINETEEN  PRIZES  WON  ON  21  ENTRIES  AT  THIS  LARGE  WORCESTER  COUNTY 
EXHIBITION.  I  have  been  breeding  your  Plymouth  Rock  Homer  stock  for  several  years.  I 
have  been  a  breeder  of  pigeons  for  a  long  time  and  enjoy  the  work  very  much  and  I  want  to 
tell  you  that  I  have  never  seen  better  Homers  anywhere,  nor  do  I  believe  that  better  stock 
exists  than  the  strain  you  sell. 

At  the  Worcester  poultry  show  held  in  December,  1907,  in  Mechanics  Hall,  I  entered  21  birds, 
nearly  all  your  Homers,  or  bred  from  Homers  sold  by  you.  I  had  a  few  pigeons  of  another 
fancy  variety  in  the  show  along  with  your  Homer  stock,  but  the  Homers  did  nearly  all  of  the 
prize  winning.  On  the  21  birds  I  won  19  prizes,  made  up  of  10  first  prizes,  five  second  prizes 
three  third  prfees  and  one  fourth  prize. 

The  birds  were  very  much  admired  by  the  people  in  attendance  at  the  exhibition.  On  one 
white  Homer  which  came  from  you  and  on  which  I  won  first  prize  I  was  offered  $5,  but  declined 
the  offer.  For  another  beautiful  red  checker  Plymouth  Rock  female  Homer  which  won  me  a 
first  prize  I  was  offered  $5  by  another  exhibitor,  but  I  declined  the  offer.  The  judge  of  the 
pigeons  told  me  I  ought  to  send  these  two  birds  to  the  Boston  show  in  January,  as  they  were 
"  world  beaters."  Sometime  I  am  going  to  enter  my  birds  at  the  Boston  show  when  I  get 
around  to  it  and  can  spare  the  time  from  my  regular  business.  I  am  confident  that  I  will  make 
them  "  sit  up  and  take  notice." 

Your  Homer  stock  is  distinguished  not  only'by  the  large  size  (which  I  have  never  seen  equalled 
anywhere)  but  by  their  prolific  breeding  qualities. 

A  good  proportion  of  my  birds  are  the  red  checkers,  and  I  value  them  highly.  None  of  the 
Worcester  pigeon  men  has  birds  approaching  mine.  In  fact,  there  are  two  Englishmen  in  this 
city  who  have  been  breeders  of  birds  all  their  lives  and  they  told  me  that  they  never  saw  any  that 
could  equal  my  stock.  A  professional  man  of  this  city  is  a  breeder  of  fancy  picreons  well  known 
over  the  United  States.  He  entered  some  white  Homers  in  competition  at  the  Worcester  poultry 
show  mentioned  above  but  my  white  Homers  went  way  over  anything  which  he  had. 

These  large  Plymouth  Rock"  Homers  of  which  you  have  sold  so  many  during  the  past  ten  years 
have  completely  driven  the  small  native  American  Homer  out  of  the  market.  The  old  breeders 
of  these  small  native  Homers  have  hated  to  admit  that  your  Belgium  stock  was  better  than 
theirs,  but  anybody  with  half  an  eye  can  see  that  a  Homer  which  is  almost  half  as  large  again 
as  were  the  best  American  Homers  is  to  be  preferred,  not  only  for  squab  raising  but  for  fancy 
breeding,  for  anybody  who  wants  the  best.  The  enormous  popularity  of  your  business  in  hand- 
ling this  magnificent  strain  is  well  accounted  for. — H.  M.  W.,  Massachusetts. 

FIRST  AND  SECOND  PRIZES  AT  THIS  WISCONSIN  COUNTY  FAIR.  It  was  February  1, 
1907,  when  I  got  my  first  lot  of  Homers.  They  were  the  Extras.  The  pigeons  are  the  largest 
and  the  best  of  their  kind  I  ever  saw.  I  would  advise  every  new  beginner  to  study  the  Manual 
before  starting.  I  feed  my  birds  two-thirds  cracked  corn  to  one-third  red  wheat  in  winter, 
two-thirds  red  wheat  to  one-third  cracked  corn  in  summer;  dainties  such  as  hemp  seed,  rice, 
peas,  Kaffir  corn  and  vetches.  I  have  invented  a  little  mill  to  crack  corn.  I  bought  some 
cracked  corn  but  it  was  not  half  cracked.  I  can  adjust  my  mill  to  crack  any  size  corn  I  want  it 
to.  I  have  chickens  in  the  same  yard  with  the  pigeons  and  they  get  along  good.  Your  Manual 
is  the  best  it  could  be.  I  don't  think  it  could  be  improved  much.  I  haven't  had  any  trouble 
with  lice  or  sickness.  I  think  we  will  send  another  order  as  soon  as  we  can  get  a  place  ready  for 
them.  The  squab  business  is  O.  K.,  as  well  as  a  paying  business.  My  pigeons  took  first  and 
second  prizes  at  Ocotno  County  Fair,  September  3,  4,  5. — E.  G.,  Wisconsin. 

WON  FOUR  FIRST  AND  SECOND  PRIZES  AT  TOPEKA,  KANSAS,   EXHIBITION.     My 

birds  that  I  got  from  you  are  doing  very  nicely.  At  the  Topeka  show  I  was  awarded  four  first 
and  second  prizes  out  of  16  birds  shown.  I  would  have  gotten  another  first,  but  I  classed  the 
bird  wrong.  The  judge  gave  her  first,  but  they  looked  on  the  judge's  card  and  she  was  not  undei 
that  class.  At  the  show,  two  of  my  Homers  got  out  of  the  cage  and  also  out  of  the  hall.  They 
were  fine-looking  birds  and  built  for  flying.  They  started  east  and  that  is  the  last  I  have  heard 
of  them.-  F.  L.  K.,  Kansas. 

FIRST  AND  SECOND  PRIZES  WON  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  IN  FLYING  COMPETITION. 

I  bought  several  pairs  of  your  Homer  stock  about  a  year  ago  and  am  raising,  and  also  flying 
those  which  I  raised.  I  have  also  Belgiums  which  I  fly,  but  the  young  of  your  stock  are  equal. 
I  can  recommend  your  birds  to  anybody,  and  the  flying  club  which  I  am  in  also  know  what 
they  are.  The  last  fly  I  made  was  300  miles,  at  which  I  took  first  and  second  prizes  on  your 
stock.  I  thank  you  for  sending  me  such  quality  of  birds.  W.  J.  K.,  Michigan. 

AGAIN  A  SWEEP  OF  PRIZES  AT  ANOTHER  NEW  YORK  COUNTY  FAIR  BY  PLYMOUTH 
ROCK  HOMERS.  We  had  a  county  fair  here  and  there  was  quite  a  large  exhibition  of  fancy 
pigeons  and  a  few  Homers,  but  not  any  as  nice  as  the  ones  that  I  had  on  exhibition.  I  took 
six  pairs  of  old  ones  and  five  pairs  of  young  about  eight  weeks  old  to  match  the  old  ones.  I 
got  first  and  second  premiums  on  all. — F.  S  ..  New  York. 

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NINETEEN  PRIZES  WON  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  AND  CARNEAUX  BY  ONE 
CUSTOMER  AT  THE  GREAT  ROCHESTER  (N.  Y.)  EXHIBITION  IN  1908.  I  am  flat  in  bed 
with  pleurisy  buc  I  want  to  let  you  know  about  the  Rochester  Show.  I  got  fifteen  out  of  sixteen 
prizes,  and  also  four  specials;  losing  only  one  third  prize  to  a  cock  from  the  New  York  Show. 
All  of  my  prizes  were  won  from  adult  stock  bought  of  you,  and  young  raised  from  them  last  year. 
As  soon  as  I  am  able  to  be  up  and  out  I  will  write  you  more  fully.  Excuse  looks  of  letter  as  1 
am  writing  in  bed.  (Later).  There  were  three  old  cocks  and  three  old  hens  which  were  re- 
cently bought  by  a  Rochester  man  in  New  York.  The  birds  were  said  to  have  been  in  the  New 
York  Show  and  this  man  made  his  brag,  that  he  got  the  birds  to  turn  down  the  Lyons  man, 
but  my  birds  were  cooped  first  and  when  he  brought  in  his  Carneaux  and  cooped  them  near 
mine,  he  told  the  president  of  the  show  that  he  guessed  he  did  not  have  much  chance.  He  got 
one  third  prize.  All  the  rest  were  thrown  out.  I  got  four  first,  four  seconds,  three  thirds,  four 
fourths  and  four  specials.  (One  special  on  best  cock  in  show,  a  pair  of  record  Homers,  one 
special  on  best  hen  and  two  minor  specials.)  The  last  pair  you  sent  me  got,  cock  first,  hen 
second.  My  Carneaux  are  doing  fine  and  I  have  quite  a  number  of  young  mated  and  at  work. — 
R.  I.C.,  New  York. 

PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  THE  BEST  HOMERS  IN  THREE  STATES  AT  THIS  BIG  EXHIBITION. 
A  NOVEL  USE  FOR  PIGEON  FEATHERS.  I  wish  to  thank  you  for  suggestions  offered,  which 
enabled  me  to  win  first  prize  on  Homer  pigeons  at  the  Tri-State  Exposition  and  Livestpck  Show 
held  at  Chester,  West  Virginia,  just  across  the  Ohio  river  from  our  city.  This  was  considered  the 
best  poultry  and  livestock  show  in  this  section  of  the  country  this  season.  Our  local  fanciers  came 
out  fairly  good  considering  the  opposition  we  had.  Three  of  the  largest  breeding  farmers  in  this 
section  sent  in  a  carload  of  poultry  apiece.  The  second  prize  in  Homers  went  to  an  Ohio  man, 
one  of  the  above  mentioned  breeders.  I  also  got  second  on  White  Leghorn  cockerel.  My  birds 
were  shedding  considerable,  but  I  made  good  use  of  the  long  feathers  as  you  will  see  by  some 
enclosed  advertising  for  the  firm  by  which  I  am  employed  as  well  as  for  myself.  They  went 
like  hot  cakes  after  we  got  them  started.  Every  one  wore  a  feather.  I  don't  know  whether  the 
value  of  this  ever  appealed  to  you  or  not,  but  I  think  that  you  could  find  ready  sale  for  the 
light-colored  feathers  for  this  purpose.— S.  E.  A.,  Ohio. 

Note.  What  he  did  was  to  gather  up  all  the  good-sized  feathers  lost  in  moulting  and  print, 
them  in  red  ink  with  a  rubber  stamp,  "  Welcome  at  Smith's,"  giving  the  name  of  the  store  where 
he  worked.  These  stamped  feathers  were  treasured  as  souvenirs.  This  idea  could  be  used  in 
other  ways  by  squab  breeders  and  the  feathers  handed  out  as  advertisements. 

VICTORIOUS  AT  TWO  NEW  YORK  STATE  EXHIBITIONS.  When  I  was  in  Boston  a  few 
months  ago,  I  promised  you  I  would  let  you  know  how  I  made  out  at  our  County  Fair,  but  for 
some  unknown  reason  I  did  not  get  at  it.  I  entered  at  the  fair  six  birds.  Four  Carneaux  took 
four  first  prizes,  two  Homers  two  second  prizes. 

I  entered  at  Hudson  Valley  Pigeon  and  Poultry  Association  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  seven 
birds,  and  won  three  firsts  on"  Homers,  two  seconds  on  Carneaux.  Did  not  enter  my  old  Car- 
neaux or  would  have  taken  first  on  them.  I  have  a  fine  Carneau  cock  that  I  think  would  be 
hard  to  beat,  but  the  hen  is  not  up  to  the  mark.  I  think  I  will  show  the  Carneaux  at  the  New 
York  Show.— J.  R.  V.,  New  York. 

TOOK  EVERYTHING  IN  SIGHT.  WON  EVERY  PRIZE  OFFERED  FOR  HOMERS  WITH 
HIS  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  AT  NEW  YORK  COUNTY  FAIR.  The  Homers  that  I 
bought  of  you  last  September  are  doing  fine.  I  would  like  to  visit  your  plant  a  little  later  if 
it  would  be  convenient  for  you.  I  am  going  for  the  purpose  of  looking  over  your  plans  and  to 
purchase  some  more  breeders.  I  have  now  about  60  pairs  and  want  to  get  enough  to  make  125 
pairs.  I  entered  those  that  I  got  of  you  at  the  Clinton  County  Fair  at  which  I  got  every  prize 
that  was  taken  on  Homers. — E.  R.  G.,  New  York. 

ONE  PAIR  OF  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  GOOD  ENOUGH  IN  VIRGINIA  TO  BEAT  PROFES- 
SIONAL SHOW  FOLLOWERS.  The  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  you  sent  me  have  all  been  working. 
I  carried  one  pair  to  the  Roanoke  Fair  and  received  first  premium  over  some  Homer  dealers 
from  Pennsylvania. — P.  E.  H.,  Virginia. 

TOOK  FIRST,  SECOND  AND  THIRD  PRIZES  IN  WEST  VIRGINIA.     My  birds  are  beauties, 

and  took  first,  second  and  third  premiums  at  the  Poultry  Show  here,  and    I  have  been  selling 
squabs  right  along  that  are  fat  and  nice. — Miss  G.  E.  K.,  West  Virginia. 

WON  THE  SILVER  CUP  AT  THIS  MICHIGAN  SHOW  WITH  HIS  PLYMOUTH  ROCK 
HOMERS.  I  have  had  six  pairs  in  the  show  and  won  the  silver  cup.  People  said  they  were  the 
best  they  ever  saw.  I  sold  two  pairs  for  $5. — J.  P.  P.,  Michigan. 

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FIVE  PRIZES  TAKEN  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  AT  TENNESSEE  POULTRY  AND 
PIGEON  SHOW.  It  would  probably  be  of  interest  to  you  to  know  of  my  success  with  your 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  in  our  recent  Poultry  and  Pigeon  Show.  I  entered  six  of  the  eleven 
pairs  that  you  sent  me.  I  won  two  firsts,  two  seconds,  and-one  third  prize.  The  fine  Homers  I 
purchased  from  you  won  one,  two,  three,  while  two  pairs  of  colored  Homers  that  I  raised  from 
some  birds  bought  of  you  won  one,  two. 

Those  grand  white  Homers  you  shipped  me  attracted  more  attention  and  were  admired  by  more 
people  than  all  of  the  other  birds  in  the  show  put  together.  They  are  superb. 

I  placed  the  birds  in  mv  breeding  pen  at  noon  on  Monday  and  on  Friday  afternoon  four  pairs 
had  built  nests  and  one  pair  had  laid  two  eggs. 

The  youngsters  raised  from  some  of  your  birds  that  I  referred  to  before  are  only  eight  months 
oid  and  have  been  at  work  three  months.  I  am  enthusiastic  over  Plymouth  Rock  Homers. — 
E.  D.  R.,  Tennessee. 

WON  TEN  PRIZES,  TAKING  ALL  BUT  ONE  (A  THIRD)  WITH  TEN  PAIRS.  At  the  North 
Adams  Poultry  Show  I  entered  ten  pairs  of  "  exhibition  Homers  "  made  up  largely  from  Ply- 
mouth Rock  stock  and  was  awarded  five  firsts,  three  seconds,  one  third,  one  fourth.  I  was 
"  headed  "  but  once  and  that  was  for  a  third  place.  The  entries  were  made  up  of  one  pair  reds, 
one  pair  red  checkers,  two  pairs  silvers,  three  pairs  blue  checkers  and  three  pairs  blue  bars. — 
J.T.,  Massachusetts. 

PAIR  OF  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  THE  BEST  PAIR  OF  HOMERS  IN  THE  1 908  TORONTO  EX- 
HIBITION. Only  one  pair  of  those  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  which  I  purchased  from  you  were 
exhibited  at  the  fair  but  they  took  first  prize.  The  judges  in  examining  them  commented  on 
the  perfect  wings,  only  one  little  feather  being  wrong.  I  know  nothing  of  the  standard  but  you 
will  doubtless  know  what  they  meant. — T.  S.  C.,  Ontario,  Canada. 

PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  FIRST  AS  WELL  AS  SECOND  AT  THIS  IOWA  EXHIBITION.     Our 

blue  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  took  first  and  our  silvers  second  at  the  show  here. — C.  D.,  Iowa. 


HAS  BRED  THOUSANDS  OF  SQUABS  IN 
INDIA  FROM  PIGEONS  POORER  THAN 
OURS.  About  a  month  ago  when  staying 
in  Chicago  I  made  an  inquiry  for  your  cata- 
logue and  about  a  week  later  I  sent  you  50 
cents  for  your  National  Standard  Squab  Book. 
I  read  your  book  with  great  interest  and  must 
say  it  is  the  best  written  instruction  to  the 
beginner  that  I  ever  saw.  I  have  bred 
thousands  of  squabs  in  India,  where  I  was 
born  and  came  to  America  to  start  a  squab 
farm  here.  Of  course,  the  kind  of  pigeons 
we  use  over  there  is  not  as  good  as  what  we 
use  here.  I  have  succeeded  in  getting  a  fine 
farm  in  Missouri,  a  very  dry,  healthy  climate. 
Tomorrow  I  am  going  to  the  place  and  when 
settled  there  about  a  month  (this  time  I 
want  to  make  the  squab  houses)  I  will  send 
you  an  order.  —  V.  K.,  Missouri. 

LONG  SHIPMENT  OF  PLYMOUTH  ROCK 
HOMERS  ACROSS  THE  CONTINENT  TO 
BRITISH  COLUMBIA  AND  FROM  THERE 
TO  AUSTRALIA.  I  duly  received  your 
letter  of  May  12,  and  the  birds  came  safely 
and  in  good  order  by  the  Dominion  Express 
Company  to  Vancouver.  You  will  be  glad 
to  know  that  they  arrived  safely  at  Mel- 
bourne on  June  27.  The  Carneaux  pecked 
three  or  four  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  but 
today  they  are  in  splendid  condition,  having 


gone  through  the  long,  hot  voyage  very  well. 
We,  of  course,  looked  after  them  on  the 
steamer  to  see  that  the  cage  was  kept  clean 
and  followed  your  instructions  as  to  food,  grit, 
etc.  —  Mrs.  A.'B.,  Australia. 


SQUAB  MARKET  WAITING  TO  BE 
DEVELOPED  IN  THE  PROVINCE  OF 
ONTARIO.  The  National  Standard  Squab 
Book  has  given  me  much  satisfaction,  pleas- 
ure and  also  a  longing  to  get  into  the  business. 
I  am  a  poultry  plucker,  bench-hand,  feeder, 
etc,  employed  by  the  largest  wholesale  live 
and  dead  poultry  handlers  here.  I  originally 
sent  for  your  Manual  not  with  the  idea  of 
starting  to  breed  squabs,  but  to  add  to  mv 
knowledge  of  feathered  life.  I  found  the 
book  so  interesting  I  have  read  it  through 
several  times  and  could  answer  correctly 
any  question  asked  me  from  it.  It  is  the 
most  exhaustive  treatise  on  the  subject 
imaginable  and  I  now  consider  myself  an 
authority  on  pigeons.  To  show  you  how 
undeveloped  the  squab  trade  is  here :  I  may 
say  we  do  not  receive  proportionately  one 
squab  to  every  100  chickens. — J.  E.,  Ontario, 
Canada. 

IMITATION  NEST  BOWLS.  I  must  say 
my  Plymouth  Rocks  are  the  best  Homers  I 
ever  saw.  Are  the  bowls  as  seen  on  page  48 
of  the  Manual  what  are  known  as  the  Rice 
Wood  Fibre  Nest  Bowls?  I  must  say  that 
I  like  them  very  much  better  than  what 
are  sold  here  as  "  Rice  Wood  Fibre  bowls," 
as  the  ones  here  are  almost  flat. — M.  R.  K.. 
Tennessee. 

Note.  The  genuine  wood  fibre  nest  bowls 
can  be  obtained  only  direct  of  us  from  Boston. 
We  do  not  supply  stores  with  them.  If 
bowls  are  offered  you  in  stores  as  ours,  they 
are  not. 


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A  NEW  JERSEY  PLANT. 
This  picture  and  the  picture  on  the  opposite  page  are  both  photographs  of  the  same  plant. 


HIS  BROTHER-IN-LAW  IS  HAVING  A 
PROFITABLE  EXPERIENCE  WITH  PLY- 
MOUTH ROCK  HOMERS.  Yours  dated 
November  20  was  received  this  p.m.  I 
shall  be  very  much  pleased  to  have  the  pair 
of  birds  as  you  suggest  and  will  gladly  pay 
transportation  on  the  same.  I  do  not  con- 
sider you  are  under  any  obligation  to  "  make 
good  "  under  the  circumstances,  as  I  ap- 
preciate accidents  will  happen  in  transporta- 
tion, but  since  you  make  this  offer  I  will 
greatly  appreciate  the  favor. 

My  brother-in-law,  Mr  Merritt,  has  been 
telling  me  fabulous  things  of  the  squab 
industry,  and  I  propose  starting  with  the  12 
pairs,  allowing  them  to  accumulate  for  two 
years,  and  determine  positively  the  per- 
centage of  increase,  profit,  etc. 

The  birds  Mr.  Merritt  purchased  of  you 
have  certainly  done  wonderful  work,  and  this, 
too,  after  being  shipped  to  California  and  then 
to  St.  Louis.  The  birds  you  shipped  me  are 
truly  very  handsome,  and  feel  sure  they  will 
do  well.  I  have  been  breeding  and  shipping 
fancy  poultry  for  the  past  15  years. — R.  W.  B., 
Missouri. 

KNOWN  BY  REPUTATION.  I  know  you 
by  reputation  to  be  the  largest  and  most 
successful  and  reliable  breeders  in  America, 
therefore,  I  am  to  buy  stock  from  you  and 
would  be  glad  to  have  your  prices. — H.  C.  M., 
Tennessee. 


MANUAL  IS  PREPARED  EXPERIENCE. 

The  birds  I  got  from  you  are  in  every  way 
larger  and  finer  looking  than  any  other 
Homers  I  have  ever  seen  around  here.  Their 
squabs  are  larger  at  the  hatch  and  incom- 
parably larger  at  maturity,  or  four  weeks. 
They  seem  to  be  attentive  birds  and  extra 
good  feeders.  I  love  the  business  and  I  love 
my  birds.  I  have  followed  your  Manual 
as  regards  feeding  and  watering  and  find  that 
I  get  the  best  results.  It  seems  to  be  just 
what  it  is,  prepared  experience  for  the  begin- 
ner. My  policy  was,  if  you  don't  know,  refer 
to  the  Manual,  and  I  always  found  that  I  did 
the  right  thing  and  very  seldom  if  ever  went 
wrong.— W.  T.,  Virginia. 

PLEASANT  BUSINESS  RELATIONS.  Our 
business  relations  have  been  so  pleasant  and 
satisfactory  I  will  leave  it  entirely  to  your 
discretion  in  making  me  a  present  of  a  pair 
of  Extra  Homers.  (Copy  of  your  letter 
attached  herewith  explains  all.)"  My  birds 
are  doing  finely  and  I  know  your  book  by 
heart  and  will  follow  it  carefully  all  through. 
I  will  give  you  an  order  soon  for  more  Extra 
breeders. — A.  D.  W.,  Kansas. 

ONE  YEAR'S  INCREASE.  Your  book 
is  the  best  I  have  seen  and  is  very  satisfactory. 
Just  one  year  ago  I  purchased  24  pairs  of  your 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  Now  I  have  "200 
voung  birds.  I  am  well  pleased  with  them  — 
W.  A.  L.,  Ohio. 


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ANOTHER  VIEW  OF  NEW  JERSEY  PLANT. 
This  breeder  tells  his  story  in  a  letter  printed  on  this  page  over  the  initials  B.  F.  B.,  New  Jersey. 


REPEATED  ORDERS  FROM  A  NEW  JERSEY  CUSTOMER  PLANNING  TO  HAVE  5000 
PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS.  On  April  6,  1908,  I  received  from  you  six  pairs  of  Extra 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  On  April  16,  I  received  13  pairs,  and  on  May  9,  13  pairs  more,  the 
majority  of  each  shipment  being  at  work  inside  of  a  week  after  receiving  them.  Six  pairs 
were  laying  on  the  second  day  after  receipt.  At  the  date  of  this  writing  (October  26)  I  have 
100  young  birds,  as  fine  as  you  can  find  anywhere.  The  birds  received  from  you  and  the  young 
hatched  by  them  are  not  beatable  around  these  parts.  I  have  not  as  yet  weighed  any  of  the 
squabs,  but  from  handling  them  know  that  they  will  weigh  all  that  you  claim. 

I  have  fed  as  your  Manual  directs  and  have  not  had  any  trouble  from  sickness  or  any  sign 
of  lice,  as  lam  looking  after  my  lofts  at  all  times  and  keep  perfectly  clean.  By  doing  this  no 
lice  will  linger  around.  I  am  more  than  satisfied  with  your  business  dealings,  fair  and  square 
in  all  respects.  I  have  just  received  from  you  104  pairs  of  Extras,  and  they  are  beauties,  the 
talk  of  the  town. 

In  the  spring  I  expect  to  enlarge  my  plant  so  I  can  put  in  5000  or  6000  birds,  and  you  will 
have  the  order  for  stock,  as  I  will  know  what  I  am  getting.  Thanking  you  for  square  dealing 
with  me. 

I  will  send  you  next  week  the  $150  for  the  two  special  offers  and  also  give  you  shipping  date. 
All  the  birds  received  from  you  in  the  past  have  been  O.  K.  in  all  respects,  but  if  you  have  some 
that  you  think  will  go  ahead  of  them  I  wish  you  would  send  them,  as  I  think  it  will  be  the 
means  of  a  large  order  for  you. — B.  P.  B.,  New  Jersey. 


PLEASED  TO  RECOMMEND  PLYMOUTH 
ROCK  HOMERS  TO  OTHERS.  Replying 
to  yours  of  July  31,  in  regard  to  our  showing 
this  gentleman  around  our  plant,  would  say, 
that  we  will  be  pleased  to  do  so.  We  feel 
sure  he  will  not  hesitate  buying  from  you  after 
he  sees  our  birds  for  they  are  proof  enough, 
to  our  minds,  of  your  fair  dealing.  Permit 
us  to  say  that  it  will  be  more  convenient  for 
us  to  show  him  around  our  place  on  some 
Sunday  for  then  we  are  able  to  give  him 
better  attention.— L.  O.  N.,  New  Jersey. 


EIGHT  TO  NINE  PAIRS  OF  SQUABS  A 
YEAR  FROM  EACH  PAIR  OF  BREEDERS. 
The  10  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 
purchased  from  you  some  time  ago  are  all 
working  very  satisfactorily,  averaging  eight 
to  nine  pairs"  of  squabs  a  year  from  each  pair 
of  breeders.— D.  V.  G.,  New  Jersey. 

THIS  IS  THE  RIGHT  TALK.  If  at  any 
time  I  can  get  you  any  business,  you  can 
count  on  my  doing  so. — D.  D.  C.,  North 
Carolina. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

265 


'266 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


THIS  MINNESOTA  CUSTOMER  IS  A  PROMINENT  LAWYER  WITH  A  FINE  FARM  ON 
WHICH  HE  RAISES  HIS  OWN  PIGEON  FEED.  The  publication  of  my  place  in  the  St. 
Paul  Press  came  about  not  upon  my  solicitation.  All  said  is  true  enough  and  I  doubt  if  I 
could  improve  it  myself.  Then  I  had  the  ranch  and  residence  halftoned  and  stamped  on 
envelopes  and  letter  heads  as  per  enclosed. 

Of  course,  I  have  so  much  to  look  after  that  I  am  not  able  to  give  the  pigeons  much  attention, 
but  find  them  "  good  to  eat  "  and  nice  in  appearance.  We  have  no  difficulty  now  in  disposing 
of  all  the  squabs  we  can  produce  in  St.  Paul  and  at  home.  We  get  only  $3  per  dozen  which  does 
very  well  here  as  the  farms  produce  wheat,  buckwheat,  and  corn  enough  for  all  the  birds, 
horses,  cows,  hogs  and  chickens  I  have.  This  year  I  tried  Canada  peas  with  satisfactory 
results. 

Our  main  house  is  58  feet  long,  16  feet  wide,  with  seven-foot  posts.  It  rests  upon  a  stone 
foundation  with  stone  piers  in  the  center  supporting  the  sills,  and  is  about  two  feet  above  the 
surface.  Drop  siding  is  used  for  weather  boarding  and  matched  fencing  for  inside  lining. 
The  space  between  the  lining  and  drop  siding  is  filled  with  cinders.  The  floor  is  of  two  thickness 
of  inch  flooring  and  brake-jointed.  Ten  feet  of  this  house  is  used  as  a  storing  room  and  for 
filling  the  drinking  fountains.  The  building  is  supplied  with  heat  and  city  water.  There  are 
six  flying  pens  each  eight  feet  wide,  10  feet  high  and  24  feet  loner,  with  roosts  as  shown  in  the 
picture  and  are  covered  with  one-inch  mesh  wire  number  18.  The  entire  framework  support- 
ing the  wire  rests  upon  concrete  foundations  four  inches  wide  and  let  into  the  ground  about  one 
foot.  Each  loft  contains  140  nests,  70  nests  on  each  side,  leaving  a  space  in  the  center  of  six 
feet.  An  entry  way  three  feet  wide  extends  along  the  entire  north  side  of  the  building  with  a 
door  opening  into  each  pen.  The  small  building  is  eight  feet  by  ten  feet  with  shed  roof  eight 
feet  and  five  and  one-half  feet  respectively  in  height.  This  is  used  as  a  mating  pen,  where  an 
equal  number  of  males  and  females  are  placed  and  when  mated  are  banded  and  placed  in 
larger  lofts.  The  floor  of  each  flying  pen  is  covered  with  sand  from  four  to  eight  inches  deep. — 
H.  W.  M.,  Minnesota. 


ENLARGING  AFTER  AN  EXPERIMENT 
WITH  THREE  PAIRS.  I  am  now  making 
preparations  to  occupy  a  new  building  in  the 
spring,  and  as  soon  as  I  can  scare  up  the 
money,  I  want  to  order  more  breeders  and 
about  20  dozen  nest  bowls,  as  I  expect  to  have 
a  two-unit  house  besides  the  one  now  oc- 
cupied. I  can't  say  enough  about  the  breeders 
I  bought  of  you.  My  first  pair  of  squabs 
weighed  two  pounds,  two  ounces,  the  second 
pair  two  pounds,  and  by  the  looks  of  the 
third  pair,  I  believe  they  will  weigh  more 
than  any  of  the  first  ones.  I  am  going  to 
keep  my  young  ones  for  breeders,  also  expect 
to  add  more  of  your  stock  in  the  breeding 
line.  If  I  get  my  other  house  up,  I  can  easily 
accommodate  150  pairs  of  breeders,  and  I 
want  them  just  as  fast  as  I  can  get  them. 
I  feed  a  little  red  wheat,  Kaffir  corn,  millet 
and  hemp-seed,  buckwheat  and  barley  and 
Canada  peas.  I  have  all  told  10  kinds  of 
feed,  use  the  self-feeder  for  staples  and  my 
relishes  I  feed  on  a  board  with  raised  edges, 
which  I  remove  from  the  pen  after  the  birds 
have  finished  eating. — R.  E.  B.,  Pennsylvania. 

PLEASED  WITH  WHAT  HE  SAW  AT 
MELROSE  FARM.  I  write  to  let  you  know 
I  was  very  much  pleased  with  what  I  saw  at 
your  farm  in  Melrose  and  the  treatment 
which  I  received  from  your  superintendent, 
and  shall  send  you  another  order  for  some 
more  of  your  birds  by  spring,  as  they  are  all 
right.  If  you  have  any  new  literature,  would 
you  kindly  send  me  the  same,  as  I  want  to 
keep  in  touch  with  you  in  regard  to  anything 
that  I  can  learn  for  my  benefit. — C.  H.  H.t 
Massachusetts. 


BETTER  HOMERS  THAN  THIS  FANCIER 
HAD  IN  HIS  COOPS  VALUED  BY  HIM  AT 
TWENTY-FIVE  DOLLARS  A  PAIR.  Since 
I  wrote  you  Saturday  I  had  a  great  pigeon 
raiser  call  upon  me  to  ask  the  privilege  of 
looking  at  my  birds  you  sent.  I  asked  him 
to  express  himself  in  a  candid  way  as  to  his 
opinion  of  the  quality  and  also  if  he  had  any 
finer  birds.  He  replied,  "  Well,  I  have 
several  kinds.  Some  I  consider  are  worth 
$25  a  pair,  but  I  confess  I  haye  none  that  can 
hold  a  candle  to  those  birds.  They  are 
extremely  fine."  He  made  strict  inquiry 
about  you  and  seemed  wonderfully  enthusi- 
astic and,  on  his  leaving  me,  remarked  he 
certainly  would  have  to  send  for  some  of 
those  birds.  I  just  simply  mention  this  to 
you  for  your  credit.  This  is  one  of  the 

Farties  I  mentioned  to  you  in  my  first  letter 
wrote  you,  asking  you  to  send  me  some 
good  birds,  as  I  did  not  want  to  be  laughed 
at.  I  think  you  will  receive  some  orders 
from  this  part  of  the  country,  at  least  I  am 
hoping  so. — T.  S.,  Illinois. 

RICH  PEOPLE  SURPRISED  BY  QUALITY 
OF  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUABS.  Two 
years  ago  I  bought  12  pairs  of  Plymouth 
Rock  Homer  pigeons  of  you  with  the  intention 
of  raising  squabs  for  market.  I  have  never 
lost  but  one  of  the  old  birds  and  now  have, 
a  flock  of  225  or  250.  About  100  are  just 
beginning  to  mate.  I  sold  some  of  the  squabs 
to  a  lady  from  New  York  who  comes  here  for 
the  summer,  and  her  colored  servant,  who 
came  to  buy  them,  said  they  were  the  nicest 
ones  he  ever  saw.  The  lady  lives  in  an 
expensive  part  of  the  city. — W.  R.,  Vermont. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

267 


Greatest  Banquet  Ever  Given  in  the  West  Will 

Be  That  at  the  Coliseum   Saturday 

Night 


p 

f 


When  hungry  /Sjgpubl  leans,  who  have 
Dew^crowded  Away  from  the  political 
pJe  downier;  In  Missouri  for  38  years, 
gather'  f0f  their  banquet  at  the  Coli- 
seum, Saturday  night,  they  will  fare, 
tho  greatest  quantity  of  food  ever 
served  at  a  single  eating  lest  in  the 
West. 

There  will  be  seated  In  the  great  d!n- 
,lng  room  2266  Republicans.  They1  will 
occupy  78  tables,  fcnd  225  waiters  have 
been  'engaged  to  efcrve  th*m. 

•Lyman  T.  Hay  o'f  the  JeffersouT  and 
Planters  hotels,  who  has  undertaken  to 
satisfy  the  appetites  of  the  hungry"  Re- 
publicans, has  ordered  food  in.  the  fol- 
lowing quantities: 

225    gallons'  of    soup. 

1200  pounds  of  fish. 

1000  pounds   met 

226C    squabs. 

2500  large  rolls  ot  bread 

200  loaves  of  bread. 

709  bunches  of  radishes. 

200  bunches  of  celery. 

65  gallons  of  olives. 

10  boxes  of  lettuce. 

10  boxes  of  chicory. 

10  boxes  of  tomatoes. 

30  dozen  *.b.uncnescof-1»arsley. 

30  cases  of  lima  beans. 

60  gallons  of  coffee. 

25  sacks  of  potatoes. 

100  gallons  of  Ice  cream,  with  large 
ciuan titles  of  assorted  cakes. 

Sixty  Cook*  to  Cook  It. 

Early  Saturday  morning  60  cooks  ana 


helpers  will  -be  s6t  to  work  In  an  Im- 
mense temporary,  kitchen  In  the  base- 
ment of  the 'Coliseum  to  prepare  tile/ 
groat  feast,  they  expect.  fct>1haVe;the  Sift 
oer.  ready  for  serving  -when  the  guests 
ara  seated  at  6  p.-'Jti  sharp.  The  225 
waiters  will  be  divided  into  two  squads, 

nd  will  work  from  each'  end  of  the 
arena  toward  the  centeV. 

It  is  expected  that  it  will  require  from 
90  to  105  minutes  to  serve  the  meal.  Mr. 
U*y  is~hnving  the  tables  made,  and  will 
procure  the  22G6  chairs  neede'd.'and  Have 
them  sent  to  the  Coliseum  before,  the 
dinner  bell  is  fapped. 

'Mr./Hay  Is  assls.^pd,\by.J.  J^-Teltean, 
who  'wiif.be'  the  V$A9^l:**uperfnt«indettt' 
at  the  banquet  hall;  Max  McCurlee,  who 
will  have  ch.arse  of  the  service,  and 
Fred  Laufgatter,  chief  engineer  of  th« 
Planters  Hotel,  who  will  arrange  for 
the  heating  service  and  gas  stove  con- 
nections. 

West's    Biggest    Flan<jn*<. 

Mr.  Hay  says  that  the  banquet  Will 
be  the  biggest  ever  glvSh '  In  the  West. 

The  guests  of  honor  and  the  speakers 
will  be  seated  at  the  head  table,  on 
which  62  plates  win  be  laid.  Gbv. -elect 
Hadley  will  be  the  principal  guest  ot 
honor.  Jeptna  D.  Howe,  chairman  of 
the  Republican  City  Committee,  will  be 
the  toastmaster.  The  banquet  Is  being 
given  by  the  Republican  City  Commit- 
tee to  celebrate  the  victory  In  this  State. 
All  of  the  leading  Missouri  Republicans 
have  been  Invited. 


HUNDREDS  OF  SQUABS  EATEN  AT  ONE  BANQUET. 


The  above  clipping  from  the  St.  Louis  Post  Dispatch  printed  in  November   IMS   shows  what  St.  Lou* 

people  think  of  squabs.     Squabs  arc  certainly  lain*  eaten  in  the  U  est.     To  provide  the  22M>  - »-  -»•:•*  ««• 

eaten  at  this  banquet  would  take  one  year's  output  of  a  plant  of  150  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  He 


268 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


MISSISSIPPI  SQUAB  HOUSE. 

The  house  is  14x26  feet  and  the  flying  pen  20x26  feet.  11  feet  high.  There  are  two  galvanized  iron  bathpans 
in  the  flying  pen  with  water  piped  to  each.  The  drinking  fountain  is  inside  the  squab  house  and  is  made  of  six 
one  inch  Ts  put  together  with  nipples,  making  the  whole  eight  feet  long  with  water  running  through  it  all  the 
time,  and  the  Ts  nearly  full.  This  gives  them  plenty  of  fresh  drinking  water  all  the  time  and  it  cannot  be  fouled 
by  the  birds.  The  house  has  76  egg  crates  for  nest  boxes  and  can  take  forty  more  when  needed.  The  white  line 
seen  at  the  back  of  the  pie  ure  is  a  much  traveled  shell  roadway  and  the  birds  are  much  admired  by  passers-by. 
Of  course  it  is  not  necessary  to  build  a  squab  house  so  warm  in  Mississippi  as  in  the  North. 


NINETEEN  PAIRS  INCREASED  IN  TWO  YEARS  TO  FIVE  HUNDRED  BIRDS  WITHOUT 
SPECIAL  INSTRUCTION  AND  WITHOUT  SYSTEM.  I  never  had  one  of  your  Manuals.  I 
merely  put  the  19  pairs  of  pigeons  I  first  got  from  you  about  two  years  ago  in  a  house  12  feet 
square  and  about  9  feet  high,  with  a  flying  pen  20  feet  by  12  feet  by  9  feet,  and  have  let  them 
be  there  ever  since.  I  have  now  about  500  birds  and  a  nicer  bunch  of  birds  I  have  never  seen. 
They  are  very  much  crowded  at  this  time  and  many  of  the  young  are  being  killed  by  the  push. 
I  have  now  let  contract  for  larger  quarters  and  expect  to  remate  the  flock  (if  such  a  thing  is 
advisable),  and  have  separate  pens,  thus  dividing  the  flock,  and  I  am  very  anxious  to  get  all  the 
information  possible  so  that  I  will  make  no  more  mistakes.  I  enclose  50  cents  in  stamps  for 
the  Manual.  There  are  three  or  four  persons  in  town  who  have  small  flocks  of  pigeons  and  they 
sell  squabs  at  $1.50  a  dozen,  but  they  are  small  and  mixed  breeds,  and  do  not  have  enough  to 
supply  the  wants  of  the  people.  We  have  not  as  yet  sold  any  squabs,  but  expect  to  charge  at 
least  S3  a  dozen.  We  have  a  start  now  and  my  brother  is  going  to  help  with  the  birds  and  we 
feel  that  there  is  a  nice  income  ahead  of  us.  I  have  been  closely  confined  to  my  office  duties, 
thus  the  birds  in  the  past  have  been  neglected. — G.  J.  G.,  Kansas. 

RAISED  A  FINE  FLOCK  FROM  A  FEW. 

I  visited  a  friend  of  mine  in  Erie,  Pennsyl- 
vania, last  week  (August)  and  he  showed 
me  a  fine  flock  of  pigeons  that  he  has  raised 
from  12  he  bought  from  you  in  the  spring. 
Will  you  kindly  send  me  prices  for  six  pairs 
and  12  pairs,  also  illustrations  and  different 
kinds  you  have. — B.  K.,  Pennsylvania. 

FIVE  TIMES  BETTER  THAN  COMMON 
PIGEONS.  The  three  pairs  of  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers  are  doing  as  much  as  the  15 
pairs  of  common  pigeons  I  had  in  the  same 
quarters  last  summer. — G.  S.,  Wisconsin^ 


BREED  RAPIDLY  IN  FLORIDA.  The  birds 
received  from  you  have  done  extra  fine. 
Our  stock  has  more  than  doubled  already. 
Enclosed  find  check  for  which  send  by 
freight  100  pounds  of  your  health  grit,  100 
pounds  of  oyster  shells,  100  pounds  mixr-1 
pigeon  grain,  and  two  dozen  nest  bowls.— 
J.  D.  C.,  Florida.  . 

NO  MORTALITY.  I  have  followed  your 
Manual's  instructions  to  the  letter  and  have 
never  lost  a  bird,  when  once  out  of  the  nest, 
and  only  three  squabs,  and  they  were  only 
two  or  three  days  old. — W.  O.,  New  Jersey. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

269 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


A  MA8BACBD8B1TB  PLANT- 

For  description  see  title  underneath  cut  on  opi>osite  page. 

COMMON  PIGEONS  IN  UTAH  FOUND  A  POOR  INVESTMENT  IN  COMPARISON  WITH 
PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS.  I  recently  purchased  one  of  your  Manuals  and  find  in  it  a 
world  o£  very  valuable  information.  I  have  at  present  a  pen  of  300  common  pigeons  which  are 
profitable,  as  I  dispose  of  all  the  squabs  I  can  raise  at  $3  per  dozen.  A  friend  of  mine  who 
purchased  some  of  your  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  some  time  ago  Rave  me  six  pairs  of  his 
birds,  and  I  must  say  they  are  the  greatest  workers  I  have  ever  seen.  My  common  birds  are  for 
sale,  as  the  Homers  have  taken  their  place  in  my  estimation,  one  pair  of  your  stock  to  three  pairs 
of  common.  As  soon  as  I  can  dispose  of  the  birds  I  now  have  (except  my  pen  of  Homers)  you 
can  depend  on  a  good-sized  order  from  me  for  your  stock.  I  will  also  want  a  few  pairs  of  the 
Carneaux  you  so  highly  recommend.  If  they  beat  your  Homers  they  must  be  great  workers. 
I  put  the  Homers  in  a  separate  house  with  eight-foot  flying  pen  on  the  second  of  July  last  and 


at  present  date,  November  7,  they  have  raised  34  young  and  four  pairs  are  again  with  ei 
I  have  considerable  trouble  in  getting  proper  grains,  that  is,  Kaffir  corn,  hemp  seed,  Can 
peas,  as  no  one  here  handles  them.  Will  you  kindly  inform  me  as  to  where  I  may  purchase 


da 


same,  and  if  not  too  much  trouble  quote  prices.     I  hope  to  be  able  to  dispose  of  my  common 
stock  and  replace  same  with  your  fine  birds. — G.  S.  W.,  Utah. 


EIGHT  PAIRS  OUT  OF  NINE  QUICKLY 
AT  WORK.  Recently  my  son  received  nine 
pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and 
it  is  his  wish  that  I  notify  you  of  their  safe 
arrival  and  that  he  is  well  pleased  with  them. 
Eight  of  the  nine  pairs  are  at  work.  In  fact 
he  has  a  dozen  young,  and  eggs  to  hatch. — 
S.  P.  T.,  Missouri. 


BURNED  OUT,  BUT  STARTS  A  NEW 
FLOCK.  Please  send  me  a  catalogue  of  your 
best  stock.  I  bought  some  Extra  Plymouth 
Rock  mated  birds  about  a  year  ago  of  you, 
but  lost  all  in  a  fire  which  burned  the  pigeon 
house  down.  I  made  good  money  on  them 
and  liked  them  for  pets  very  much  and  I 
wish  to  stock  up  again. — J.  R.,  Missouri. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

270 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


ANOTHER  VIEW  OF  MASSACHUSETTS  PLANT. 

The  customer  whose  main  plant  we  illustrate  on  this  page  and  the  preceding  page  lives  not  far  from  our  Melros* 
farm.  His  building  has  been  erected  after  our  plans  and  is  a  duplicate  of  our  own  buildings  with  slight  variations. 
One  of  these  variations  is  ventilators  in  the  roof,  an  excellent  idea.  The  ventilators  in  our  own  houses  are  at  the 
ends  of  the  houses,  which  genera.ly  serve  well,  but  on  very  hot  days  in  summer  we  have  felt  the  need  of  additional 
ventilators  in  the.roof  as  this  customer  has  built  them.  He  has  room  enough  in  the  cellar  of  his  house  to  grow 
mushrooms  and  rhubarb.  The  rhubarb  grows  fast  and  to  great  size.  This  customer  grows  rhubarb  five  feet  high 
in  the  dark  in  such  a  place  and  there  is  a  good  market  for  it.  He  is  a  market  gardener  and  understands  how  to 
utilize  the  under  part  of  his  squab  house  in  this  manner.  He  heats  this  house  and  the  cellar  under  it  with  a  hot 
water  plant.  If  any  of  our  customers  wish  to  put  in  hot  water  heaters,  write  us  and  we  will  give  you  the  benefit 
of  our  experience.  We  have  tried  three  kinds  of  heaters  at  our  Melrose  plant,  in  fact  we  have  three  different  kinds 
in  use  there  now  and  have  learned  something  about  the  different  makes  and  can  give  helpful  advice  on  this  subject. 


HALF-INCH  MESH  WIRE  NETTING  OVER  THE  SILLS  TO  MAKE  IT  IMPOSSIBLE  FOR 
RATS  TO  GNAW  THROUGH.  I  got  birds  from  you  last  summer,  two  shipments  of  the  Extra. 
What  do  you  ask  for  them  now,  as  I  want  to  get  some?  Your  birds  are  fine  and  doing  well. 
I  have  nearly  1000  birds  and  have  a  fine  place,  building  130  feet  long,  14  feet  wide,  cut  into 
units,  south  front,  matched  lumber  outside  and  in.  I  used  a  certain  building  paper  all  over 
ouftide,  tar  paper  inside.  I  intend  to  raise  10,000  birds  and  put  up  more  buildings.  Hog  rings 
are  the  thing  to  use  to  weave  the  wire  netting.  I  put  fine  wire  netting,  half -inch  mesh,  one  foot 
wide,  the  entire  length  of  building  on  the  joist  over  the  sills  before  floor  is  put  down.  No  rats 
can  get  in. — F.  E.  B.,  Iowa. 

FOUR  HUNDRED  PAIRS  BRED  FROM  SIXTEEN  PAIRS  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  IN 
THREE  YEARS,  AND  700  SQUABS  SOLD.  I  purchased  16  pairs  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 
from  your  company  in  July,  1905.  I  have  about  800  birds  now  (October,  1908).  I  have  sold 
about  700  squabs,  nearly  all  for  $3.50  per  dozen,  but  of  late  I  have  had  hard  luck  with  rats. 
They  have  not  been  breeding  well  for  about  two  months.  I  have  lost  quite  a  number  from 
going  light  and  dumping  around.  I  thought  perhaps  they  needed  some  of  your  health  grit  or 
something  of  that  kind  and  I  enclose  an  order  for  your  health  grit.^— H.  S.,  Michigan. 


BETTER  THAN  OTHERS.  Last  spring 
I  bought  52  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Extra 
Homers  from  you  and  like  them  better  than 
any  I  have.  They  have  done  better  than 
birds  I  paid  more  for,  and  I  want  to  get  some 
more  of  them,  but  I  have  no  room.  I  want 
to  sell  100  pairs  which  I  bought  in  Connecticut. 
C.  B.,  Connecticut. 


RAPID  BREEDING  IN  VIRGINIA  CLI- 
MATE. One  or  two  of  my  pairs  lay  every 
seven  weeks.  The  others  all  do  better. 
One  pair  lays  every  month.  The  squabs 
that  I  raise'  average  one  pound.  I  feed 
mostly  corn,  wheat,  barley,  and  small  grains 
of  whole  corn.  Sometimes  I  crumble  up 
toast  for  them. — P.  S.,  Va. 


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CALIFORNIA  SQUAB  HOUSE. 
The  breeder  is  doing  very  well  in  this  unimposing  place. 

SQUABS  SELLING  BRISKLY  FROM  A  LARGE  FLOCK  OF  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  IN 
CALIFORNIA.  I  have  30  pairs  in  a  pen  and  can  count  24,  26  and  30  nests  in  a  pen,  so  that 
is  speaking  well  for  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  I  have  raised  only  20  pairs  from  them  for  breeders, 
as  there  is  a  big  demand  for  squabs.  If  I  had  $3000  I  would  put  $2000  of  it  into  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers.— W.  I.,  California. 


MANUAL  PROVEN  TRUE  BY  EXPERI- 
ENCE. I  recommend  your  firm  and  addressed 
an  envelope  to  you  yesterday  morning  for  a 
man  over  in  Calhoun,  Tennessee,  just  over 
the  river  from  Charleston.  I  think  you  will 
land  him  as  a  customer.  I  like  your  Manual 
very  much  as  I  take  it  alongside  my  ex- 
perience with  your  birds.  The  simple  truth 
shines  forth  on  every  page,  and  if  there  is 
any  criticism  I  can  offer,  it  is  pertaining  to 
the  limited  index,  which  is  not  really  a  fault 
for  in  searching  for  a  certain  point  one  reviews 
points  that  he  cannot  know  too  well. — 
P.  E.  O.,  Tennessee. 

Note.  Sometime  we  hope  to  have  a  full 
index  for  this  book.  If_this  paragraph  meets 
the  eye  of  a  squab  raiser  who  is  also  em- 
ployed in  a  library  or  publishing  house  and 
has  done  indexing,  I  wish  he  or  she  would 
write  me. — E.  C.  R. 


EVERY  PAIR  AT  WORK  IN  THREE 
WEEKS  FROM  DELIVERY.  On  July  29 
the  Plymouth  Rock  Extras  reached  us.  We 
put  them  into  the  pigeon  house  immediately 
and  were  more  than  surprised  at  the  readiness 
with  which  they  adapted  themselves  to  their 
new  surroundings.  We  are  delighted  and 
are  planning  to  order  more  birds  just  as  soon 
as  we  have  a  place  ready  for  them.  Our 
boy  would  like  to  know  how  our  record 
compares  with  others.  Every  pair  at  work 
in  three  weeks  time.  Is  that  equal  to  the 
usual  standard? — E.  S.,  Pennsylvania.  • 

TRIED  THEM  ONE  YEAR  AND  WANTS 
MORE.  Please  send  me  price-list  of  the 
Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  I  bought 
some  of  you  a  year  ago  and  I  like  them  fine. 
I  wish  some  more  at  the  same  price. — L.  V., 
Illinois. 


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SMALL  OPENINGS  UNDER  THE  WINDOWS. 

This  photograph  of  the  pi  ant  of  a  Pennsylvania  breeder,  shows  small  openings  from  which  boards  extend  to  the 
ground.  In  winter  weather  or  at  any  time  when  it  is  not  desired  to  open  the  closed  windows,  this  small  opening 
in  each  pen  can  be  used.  Some  breeders  have  a  rope  and  pulley  attached  to  the  slide  of  such  an  opening,  manage 
the  opening  and  closing  by  pulling  on  the  rope  from  the  passageway,  and  do  not  have  to  enter  the  squab  house. 

OLD  TWO-ROOM  COTTAGE  CONVERTED  INTO  A  SQUAB  HOUSE.  BEST  BIRDS  IN 
15  YEARS'  EXPERIENCE.  After  having  so  many  letters  from  you,  reading  your  Manual 
and  then  looking  at  your  photo,  I  really  feel  that  I  am  well  acquainted  with  you.  I  received 
your  last  letter  several  days  ago  and  would  have  written  you  sooner,  but  for  a  rush  in  business. 
I  am  highly  pleased  with  all  the  birds  purchased  from  you  and  especially  the  last  shipment  you 
made  me.  Those  birds  are  the  very  handsomest  I  have  ever  seen  and  have  been  admired  by 
every  one  that  has  seen  them.  They  are  getting  down  to  work  now.  My  house  and  pen  cost 
me  very  little  and  yet  I  have  almost  an  ideal  home  for  my  birds.  Away  back  in  my  garden  I  have 
an  old  two-room  cottage  with  gable  roof  covered  with  shingles.  This  I  have  turned  into  a  home 
for  my  birds.  The  rooms  are  about  10  by  10  and  eight  feet  high,  or  maybe  a  little  larger.  One 
of  them  I  have  almost  filled  with  nest  boxes  (as  you  make  them)  and  the  other  I  keep  for  feed, 
etc.  My  pen  is  24  feet  long,  12  feet  wide  and  about  18  feet  high,  taking  in  one  side  of  the  roof. 
In  your  Manual  you  do  not  recommend  using  the  roof,  but  I  have  gone  against  you  in  this 
one  thing  and  am  allowing  mine  to  enjoy  the  roof.  I  do  not  use  poles  of  any  kind  in  my  pen.  I 
have  three  running  boards  all  the  •way  around  and  find  that  much  better  than  the  poles.  The 
floor  of  the  flying  pen  is  covered  with  good  coarse  sand  taken  from  an  island  in  the  river  here 
and  I  feed  them  as  you  direct  in  your  Manual. 

I  have  raised  birds  for  the  last  15  years,  but  have  never  had  such  success  as  I  am  now  having. 
I  keep  them  more  for  pleasure  than  anything  else,  but  of  course  later  on  will  begin  selling 
off  a  few.  Dr.  Robinson  tells  me  that  he  is  meeting  with  success  also.  He  has  asked  me  several 
times  to  go  down  and  see  his  birds,  but  I  live  way  out  of  town  and  hardly  ever  stop  around 
his  place.  Anything  I  can  do  for  you  in  the  way  of  directing  a  customer  to  you  I  will  gladly 
do.  As  I  have  written  you  before,  it  is  a  pleasure  to  dp  business  with  you.  Dr.  Robinson  made 
the  same  remark  to  me  several  days  ago.  F.  E.  M.,  Virginia. 


FIRST  PURCHASE  LEADS  TO  A  SECOND. 

Enclosed  find  remittance  for  which  please 
send  your  special  offer  No.  1.  For  your 
information,  I  will  say  that  the  birds  I  pur- 
chased of  you  have  done  well  and  of  course 
their  record  recommends  you  to  me  for  more. 
I  quote  you  to  my  customers  and  friends. 
We  have  five  pens  and  will  keep  this  lot 
separate  to  note  their  points,  for  we  are 
trying  for  2000  pairs  and  as  fast  as  money 
comes  to  us  we  will  buv. — G.  B.  D.,  Alabama. 


FAIR  METHODS.  It  is  certainly  a  pleas- 
ure  to  do  business  with  your  firm.  I  must 
express  myself  at  the  fairness  of  your  methods. 
I  wish  you  success  and  assuring  you  you  will 
hear  from  me  again. — L.  L.  J.,  Pennsylvania. 

RAPID  REPRODUCTION  IN  ILLINOIS. 
The  15  pairs  I  got  from  you  in  the  spring  have 
done  finely.  I  have  raised  (September) 
about  50  pairs  of  young  ones.  They  are  all 


about  oO  pairs  ot  young  o 
very  good.— B.  F.,  Illinois. 


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A  PAIR  OF  SQUABS  FROM  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  EXTRAS. 
These  squabs  weigh  a  pound  apiece  as  you  see  them  on  the  platter. 

TW  TWr>  Aivm  ONTT  TTALF  YEARS  THIS  ILLINOIS  CUSTOMER  BRED  A  FLOCK  OF  650 
FROMT2°PMRS  IxTRA  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS,  ALSO  SELLING  SQUABS.  On 
March  13  1906  I  ordered  12  pairs  of  vour  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  I  kept  a  record  of 
them  all  the  firsi  year  and  found  the  best  pair  hatched  the  tenth  pair  of  ****"2££$£££L 
the  average  being  nearly  seven  pairs  of  squabs  to  each  pair  of  breeders.  I  consider  this  pretty 

g°In  the  wintef  aynedaspring  of  1907, 1  built  a  new  loft  50  feet  long  12  feet  wide  divided  into 
five  pens  with  orange  crates  which  I  used  for  nests.  Each  pen  has  a  wire  run  10  x  20  feet, 
facing  the  south.  The  whole  building  is  covered  with  roofing.  I  now  (October,  1908)  have  650 
birdslltogether.  About  400  of  them  are  mated  and  I  presume  the  rest  of  them i  will  be  mated  by 
next  soring  The  first  ten  squabs  raised  from  your  birds  I  sold  tor  3>1  eacn  wnen  aoout  six 
weeks  old  tgo  a  party  here  who  was  very  anxious  to  buy  them.  Since  then  I  have  been  keeping 
all  the  dwicest  squabs  for  breeders  and  the  smallest  squabs  I  have  been  shipping  to  market  with 
the  squabs  of  the  common  pigeons  which  we  have  breeding  squabs  around  the  barns.  The 
last  two  months  I  have  been  shipping  all  of  the  squabs  to  the  Chicago  market  as  J  «»v  have 
birds  enough  for  my  building  capacity.  My  intention  is  to  sell  squabs  for  a  while,  then  I  may 
put  up  more  buildings  and  start  on  a  larger  scale  if  everything  looks  satisfactory  I  am  at 
present  getting  from  $2  to  $2.50  per  dozen  for  the  squabs  from  the  commission  men  »  Uucag£ 
In  some  of  the  large  hotels  they  are  paying  forty  cents  each  forjsquabs  weighing  9  to  10  pounds 


oes      ey  ng  forty  c 

not  started  to  sell  to  the  hotels  yet. 


My  best  squabs  weigh  about  10 


to  the  dozen.     I   ha\ 

P°Com  I0ndhwheaetnare  the  staple  articles  of  feed,  and  twice  a  week  I  feed  Kaffir  corn,  Canada 
peas   buckwheat,  hemp  and  some  barley.     For  nesting  material  I  use  tobacco  stems  and  there- 

^feffittS  t^  large^ FhaV^een^T have  been  to  other  squab  raisers  near  here.     If 
ever  any  time  I  purchase  more  birds,  it  will  be  from  your  plant.  —K  Illinois. ^ 

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EXPERIENCED  PIGEON  RAISER  PAYS  A  HEARTY  TRIBUTE  TO  THE  DEMONSTRATED 
SUPERIORITY  OF  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  On  seeing  one  of  your  advertisements 
I  was  induced  to  send  for  your  free  squab  book  and  other  literature  to  the  extent  of .  purchasing 
one  of  your  Manuals.  I  am  always  eager  to  learn  of  new  methods  in  the  pigeon  business  and 
to  give  a  little  time  experimenting  upon  "  claimed-to-be"  better  stock.  On  receiving  your 
publications  I  began  to  carefully  scan  them  to  see  what  new  thought  or  idea  I  might  glean 
from  them.  In  some  instances  I  thought  you  were  making  rather  extravagant  claims,  as  most 
advertisements  generally  do.  They  praise  some  of  the  most  worthless  articles  to  the  highest 
notch,  leading  folks  to  purchase  something  in  which  they  are  very  often  sorely  disappointed. 

This  is  not  so  in  your  case,  for  of  all  the  claims  you  have  made  for  your  birds,  I  can  truthfully 
say  the  "  half  has  never  been  told."  In  my  opinion  there  are  no  better.  They  are  as  perfect 
a  piece  of  squab  machinery  as  nature  can  create  and  man  improve  upon. 

How  wen  I  am  pleased  with  the  birds  I  bought  of  you  is  well  attested  by  the  fact  that  I 
am  enclosing  another  order  for  more  of  your  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers. 

In  July,  1907,  I  sent  my  first  order.  They  were  the  largest  Homers  that  had  ever  been  in 
my  neighborhood,  as  many  persons  who  came  to  see  them  attested.  Within  less  than  three 
weeks  after  I  had  placed  them  in  my  lofts  they  had  accustomed  themselves  to  the  place,  several 
pairs  had  laid  and  set.  With  machine-like  regularity  they  have  given  me  a  pair  of  eggs  on  an 
average  of  every  five  and  one-half  weeks.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  they  have  given  me  a 
pair  of  squabs  for  every  pair  of  eggs  laid.  The  difference  between  the  eggs  laid  and  the  squabs 
hatched  from  them  has  been  so  slight  that  a  harsh  critic  cannot  find  fault.  Some  of  my  first 
pairs  of  squabs  from  your  birds  have  already  laid  and  set. 

I  have  not  allowed  any  sickness  or  lice  to  invade  my  lofts;  I  believe  the  vitality  of  your  birds 
is  of  such  strength  that  with  little  care  and  proper  feeding  one  need  never  have  any  fear  of  them. 

I  have  been  very  careful  as  to  how  I  have  fed  them.  My  plan  of  feeding  is  as  follows :  Wheat 
and  corn  are  my  main  feed.  Each  day  I  feed  a  relish,  Sunday  hemp,  Monday  Canada  peas, 
Tuesday  Kaffir  corn,  Wednesday  millet,  Thursday  hemp,  Friday  Kaffir  corn,  Saturday  I  feed 
a  grain  which  I  obtain  from  my  dealer  called  vetches;  the  birds  relish  this  very  much. 

I  feed  whole  corn  at  all  times  as  most  of  the  cracked  corn  we  get  is  of  an  inferior  sort,  some- 
thing which  could  hardly  be  sold  in  the  whole  grain.  My  feeding  plan  may  seem  a  little  expen- 
sive, but  I  am  after  results  and  as  the  birds  are  giving  me  those  results,  I  feel  that  they  are 
amply  repaying  me  for  my  trouble.  One  cannot  expect  to  get  out  of  pigeons  what  they  do  not 
put  into  them,  so  with  poor  feeding  one  can  expect  but  poor  results.  I  am  more  than  satisfied 
with  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the  squabs  they  have  given  me.  My  squabs  weigh  from 
12  ounces  to  16  ounces  apiece,  as  fat  and  juicy  as  they  can  be.  I  have  some  which  were  ready 
to  be  killed  in  25  days. 

I  have  had  one  bad  experience  since  I  have  had  your  birds.  On  one  occasion  I  was  unable 
to  obtain  necessary  grain  from  my  regular  feed  dealer,  so  I  had  to  purchase  of  another  who 
sent  me  some  inferior  stuff.  My  squabs  began  to  show  the  difference  in  that  they  were  not 
so  plump  and  fat.  I  soon  discarded  this  and  my  squabs  went  back  to  their  original  size.  Dur- 
ing the  moulting  period  your  birds  showed  no  visible  signs  of  their  being  affected  by  it  save 
the  loss  of  feathers.  They  appeared  as  though  there  was  no  strain  attached  to  it.  During 
the  cold  weather  they  have  done  equally  as  well  as  in  the  warm  weather. 

It  is  not  my  intention  to  lead  any  one  into  believing  that  all  he  has  to  do  is  to  purchase  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Homers,  put  them  into  his  loft  regardless  of  care  and  proper  feeding,  and  they  will 
prove  a  success.  But  I  do  claim  that  with  little  care  they  will  give  the  same  if  not  better 
results  than  they  have  given  me.  I  have  sold  some  of  my  squabs  for  as  high  as  one  dollar  a  pair, 
and  got  as  high  as  $5.50  a  dozen  for  some. 

My  opinion  of  the  squab  business  is  that  it  is  yet  in  its  swaddling  clothes  with  every  indication 
of  a  successful  growth.  The  demand  for  the  large,  plump  squab  is  daily  increasing.  Breeders 
with  such  stock  as  the  Plymouth  Rock  are  the  only  ones  who  will  be  able  to  supply  this  demand. 

Jhave  the  greatest  of  hope  in  the  business.  It  is  one  of  the  greatest  investments  of  today, 
n  my  opinion  there  are  but  a  few  honest  investments  which  give  better  returns  for  money, 
at  least  I  have  found  none  better. 

I  am  in  the  squab  business  now  as  a  side  issue.  I  look  for  it  in  the  near  future  to  pay  me 
larger  returns  than  the  salary  I  am  now  getting,  which  is  $1 100  a  year. 

My  present  plant  is  composed  of  three  lofts  with  a  capacity  of  nearly  300  pairs  of  birds. . 
I  have  other  Homers  than  yours  and  have  compared  the  two  to  see  which  give  the  better 
results.     I  must  confess  that  I  have  A  No.  1  birds,  but  yours  excel  them  by  far  in  the  number 
and  size  of  squabs. 

I  shall  in  a  little  while  have  only  your  birds  on  hand  as  I  have  already  learned  that  they 
are  in  a  class  by  themselves  and  as  an  investment  no  stock  can  equal  them.  Enclosed  find 
my  order,  wishing  you  much  success. — H.  N.  B.,  District  of  Columbia. 

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This  looks  like 
in  Northwest  Ca 
There  is  an  excellent 


SQUAB  BUILDING  IN  BRITISH  COLUMBIA. 

iew  in  tropical  Florida  but  it  is  not;  quite  the  opposite     It  is  the  plant  of  one  of  our  customers 
e  of  a  clearing   the  fore 
same  as  everywhere  else. 


o 

da,  British  Columbia,  being  on  the  edge  of  a  clearing   the  foreground  showing  underbrush- 
t  market  for  squabs  in  British  Columbia, 

CANADIAN  MARKET  GROWING.  NO  HOMERS  IN  THIS  ONTARIO  TOWN  TO  COMPARE 
WITH  HIS.  SQUABS  WORTH  $3.50  A  DOZEN.  The  first  part  of  October,  1907,  I  ordered 
one  dozen  pair  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and  was  surprised  at  the  promptness  of  your 
shipment.  But  I  had  everything  ready  and  liberated  the  birds  in  their  new  home.  As  it  was 
their  moulting  season  when  I  received  them,  they  did  not  lay  for  nearly  four  weeks,  but  when 
they  did  begin  they  worked  like  Trojans.  One  pair  has  laid"  12  eggs  in  the  six  months  I  have 
had  them,  and  I  had  a  pair  of  squabs  that  weighed  over  two  pounds,  28  days  old.  The  market 
quotations  give  such  and  such  a  price  for  squabs  weighing  10  pounds  to  the  dozen,  but  do  not 
quote  11  and  12-pound  squabs.  I  am  confident  that  with  care  in  selecting  breeders  from  your 
stock,  one  could  get  squabs  up  to  10-pound  mark  every  time.  There  are  no  birds  in  town  to 
compare  with  mine.  Everybody  that  sees  them  comments  on  their  trim,  business-like  appearance. 

I  have  gained  a  little  experience  now,  and  intend  building  pigeon  houses  to  accommodate 
about  400  breeding  pairs.  If  things  continue  as  they  are  now,  I  may  go  into  the  business  for  a 
living.  Your  Manual  has  helped  me  a  great  deal.  Before  I  read  it  I  knew  practically  nothing 
about  pigeons,  but  now  I  pride  myself  as  being  a  fairly  good  amateur.  I  am  offered  $3.50  per 
dozen  for  killed  squabs,  but  am  keeping  mine  for  breeding  purposes.  Our  Canadian  market  is 
not  so  good  as  the  American  market,  but  Canadians  are  fast  learning  what  good  eating  squabs 
are,  and  in  a  few  years  the  market  will  be  much  better.  I  have  had  some  experience  with  hens, 
and  know  how  hard  it  is  to  raise  a  flock  successfully,  but  hens  are  not  to  be  compared  with  your 
pigeons  for  money-making  and  simplicity  of  raising. 

I  have  had  no  sickness  in  my  flock  and  haven't  seen  a  sign  of  lice.  I  spray  the  pen_witn 
diluted  carbolic  acid  and  clean  it  out  every  two  weeks.  I  think  no  one  would  have  lice  in  his 
flock  if  he  kept  his  pens  clean.  I  do  not  use  the  self-feeder  at  present,  but  will  when  my  flock 
increases.  I  think  it  is  a  first-class  affair.  Your  Manual  includes  and  explains  everything  from 
the  gravel  on  the  ground  of  the  flying  pen  to  the  roof  on  the  pigeon  loft.  I  can  honestly  recom- 
mend your  stock  to  any  one  going  into  the  squab  industry  and  wish  you  every  success.  —  G.  L., 
Ontario,  Canada. 


SHOWING  A  PROFIT.  Pigeons  are  doing 
well.  They  are  more  than  paying  for  them- 
selves.— E.'W.,  Missouri 


A  GOOD  WORD.  I  will  always  speak  a 
good  word  for  your  kind  treatment  and  your 
fine  birds. — J.  M.  H.,  South  Carolina. 


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MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


PROFIT  OF  $2  ON  EACH  PAIR  OF  BREEDERS.  COST  OF  FEED,  75  CENTS  A  PAIR  A 
YEAR.  In  January,  1907,  I  got  the  idea  of  raising  squabs.  I  saw  your  advertisement  m  the 
Reliable  Poultry  Journal,  answered  it,  got  your  free  book,  then  sent  50  cents  for  your  Manual. 
After  reading  it,  I  started  to  fix  up  an  old  building  for  squabs.  After  fixing  the  building 
which  was  a  cheap  one,  my  squab  house  had  no  floor  and  the  roof  was  poor,  but  in  this  dark 
and  damp  place  I  have  never  had  a  sick  bird,  but  I  am  now  so  interested  in  the  business  that  I 
am  building  a  unit  house  according  to  your  plans.  After  the  old  building  was  rigged  into  a 
squab  house,  I  sent  in  my  order  for  three  pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  and  when  they 
arrived  I  was  much  satisfied  with  them.  On  the  fifth  day,  two  pairs  began  nesting  and  within 
a  week  I  had  four  eggs.  Within  the  next  few  days  the  other  pair  went  to  work.  Not  knowing 
much  about  the  habits  of  the  birds,  I  put  in  most  of  my  time  watching  them.  I  became  very 
interested  and  the  next  month  sent  you  an  order  for  six  pairs.  Since  then,  a  year  ago,  they 
have  done  so  well  that  in  the  future  I  am  going  to  make  it  a  business.  I  have  bought  nine  pairs 
in  all  and  now  have  40  pairs  that  are  working,  and  52  young.  The  birds  I  have  raised  from 
your  birds  are  as  fine  a  lot  as  I  have  ever  seen. 

I  have  had  many  calls  for  breeders  and  have  refused  as  high  as  $4  a  pair.  I  have  sold  a  few 
dozen  squabs  to  a  few  families  for  $3.50  per  dozen.  I  got  them  started  and  they  are  after  them 
all  the  time,  but  I  do  not  care  at  present  to  sell  at  all,  as  I  am  increasing  my  flock.  I  have 
weighed  the  squabs  and  find  they  average  10  pounds  to  the  dozen.  I  am  sure  I  can  make  a 
profit  of  $2  on  each  pair  of  breeding  birds.  I  have  kept  close  account  of  the  feed  and  it  will 
not  exceed  75  cents  per  pair,  per  year. 

I  have  followed  your  Manual  and  think  it  a  good  teacher.  I  don't  think  I  could  get  along 
without  it.  I  use  the  self-feeder  and  drinking  fountain  and  your  nest  bowls.  I  am  now  feeding 
as  follows:  Corn  and  wheat  in  self-feeder,  four  parts  corn  and  one  part  wheat.  The  other 
grains  I  feed  like  this:  Monday  millet,  Tuesday  barley,  Wednesday  Kaffir  corn,  Thursday 
Canada  peas,  Friday  buckwheat,  Saturday  broken  rice,  Sunday  hemp  seed.  I  find  the  birds 
like  this  manner  of  feeding  and  they  become  tame.  They  will  be  waiting  for  you  at  feeding 
time  and  fly  about  you,  lighting  on  your  shoulders.  I  use  the  lump  salt,  grit  and  oyster  shells. 

I  cannot  say  too  much  for  the  squab  business.  It  is  way  ahead  of  poultry — not  so  much 
work,  no  young  to  take  care  of,  and  not  so  much  danger  of  lice.  I  have  never  had  a  louse  in 
the  squab  house.  I  will  say  this  in  comparing  squabs  with  poultry,  first  compare  the  advantages 
and  disadvantages  of  the  growing  of  market  squabs  and  market  poultry.  To  my  mind  the 
former  is  to  be  preferred.  The  work  is  lighter  and  the  details  of  the  business  not  so  great. 
The  profits  are  larger  for  the  amount  of  time  and  money  invested.  Artificial  incubation  and 
brooding,  which  is  quite  a  study  in  the  poultry  business,  has  no  part  in  the  squab  business, 
as  the  parents  attend  to  all  these  details  and  do  it  better  than  man  possibly  could.  All  the 
labor  is  performed  under  one  cover.  In  fact,  a  big  plant  can  be  easily  established  under  a 
single  roof.  There  is  no  loss  from  hawks  or  wild  animals.  After  having  experience  with  both 
I  have  decided  that  for  the  man  who  has  not  the  best  of  health  and  is  limited  for  land,  the  squab 
business  offers  better  opportunities  than  the  raising  of  market  chickens  or  ducks.  The  first 
thing  for  the  beginner  is  to  get  the  very  best  breeders  and  follow  your  Manual  as  nearly  as 
possible  and  he  will  come  out  on  top.  I  am  satisfied  with  my  success  and  will  continue  to  the 
end.  You  will  please  find  my  order  for  birds  and  supplies. — P.  L.,  Illinois. 

FLORIDA  EATS  THOUSANDS  OF  DOZENS  THIRTY  YEARS'   EXPERIENCE.         Re- 

OF    SQUABS   IN   THE   WINTER   MONTHS.  ceived  your  Manual  and  as  far  as  I  have  gone 

The  manager  of  the  Royal  Poinciana  Hotel  I  find  it  up  to  the  minute  in  every  respect, 

of  St   Augustine,   in  response   to   my  query  I   have   learned   a   number   of   things   about 

as  to  the  demand  for  birds,  said  he  saw  no  pigeons  in  it  that  I  did  not  know  before,  and 

reason    why    his    company    could    not    use  I  think  I  am  pretty  well  posted  on  pigeons, 

several  hundred  dozen  each  week,  that  they  as   I  have   raised   them,   both   common  and 

would    like    to    see    more    pigeon    farms    in  fancy,  off  and  on  for  the  past  30  years,  but 

Florida.     I  want  to  go  South  the  first  of  next  only  for  pleasure.     Now  I   think   I   will  go 

month  and  by  the  last  of  the  month  or  the  into  it  for  profit,  in  a  small  way  at  first,  but 

first  of  November  have   the   birds  there  so  expect  to   increase   my  flock   from   time   to 

as   to   put   some   squabs    on   the   market   in  time,  as  I  have  the  money  to  spare. — J.  C.  M., 

Ohio. 

tioned  is  only  one" of  a  chain  of  Plagter  hotels  DEMONSTRATION     OF     EXCELLENCE. 

along  the  East  Coast  of  Florida  and  squabs  My  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  are  doing 

are  eaten  in  all  of  them  first  rate.     I   am   now  at   present  increasing 

my  flock  as  I  see  that  the  pigeon  business 

TEXAS  REFERENCE.     If  any  one  wants  far   surpasses   the   poultry   business.     Please 

to  know  anything  about  your  square  dealings,  send  me  a  price  list  of  your  open  leg  bands 

etc.,  you  have  my  permission  to  refer  him  to  with  three  initials  and  number  on. — L.  C.  W., 

me. — R.  S.,  Texas.  Illinois. 

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277 


as   to   put   some   squabs    on   tn 

December. — H.  B.  J.,  Indiana. 

Note.     The   Royal   Poinciana 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


This  breeder 
whose  plant  is 
pictured  at  the 
left  lives  in  a 
thickly-settled 
residential  neigh- 
borhood in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  The 
building  in  which 
his  pigeons  are 
kept  is  at  the  rear 
end  of  his  resi- 
dence lot.  It  is  a 
two-story  brick 
building  20x40 
feet  and  contains 
two  hundred  nest 
boxes.  The  two 
windows  have  a 
southern  expos- 
ure. The  flying 
pen,  10x12  feet  by 
16  feet  high,  takes 
in  only  one  win- 
dow. He  has  bred 
Carneaux  here. 
He  has  bred  all 
kinds  of  pigeons, 
he  says,  but  has 
never  seen  such 
breeders  as  o  u  r 
Carneaux.  He  has 
bred  youngsters 
from  our  birds 
weighing  nineteen 
and  t  h  r  e  e-quar- 
ters  ounces  when 
twenty  days  old. 


A  CITY  SQUAB  HOUSE. 

TWO  YOUNG  WOMEN  TOO  BUSY  MAKING  MONEY  WITH  SQUABS  AND  CHICKENS  TO 
WRITE  A  LONG  LETTER.  Please  excuse  our  delay  in  writing  you  as  we  are  busy  most  every 
minute  of  the  day  raising  chickens  for  our  winter  layers,  and  they  cause  more  work  than  the 
pigeons,  but  we  thought  the  two  were  a  good  combination,  as  we  can  sell  everything  we  can 
raise.  There  is  a  great  demand  here  for  squabs,  and  ours  are  fine,  if  I  do  say  it  myself. 

We  are  very  much  pleased  with  the  last  lot  you  sent.  They  are  beauties.  All  our  birds  are 
good  workers. 

Sometime  in  the  near  future  we  will  write  and  give  you  a  little  of  our  experience  since  we 
have  started  in  the  squab  business.  This  time  of  year  is  a  busy  one  for  us,  getting  everything 
going  for  the  winter  when  prices  are  the  highest.  We  are  having  much  better  success  this  year 
than  last.  Excuse  this  delay  and  we  will  write  later.— Miss  H.  L.  A.  and  Miss  E.  E.  S. 

FOUR  DOLLARS  AND  EIGHTY  CENTS  A  DOZEN  FOR  SQUABS  IN  SPOKANE.  INSIST- 
ENT DEMAND.  The  market  for  squabs  here  (Spokane)  is  good ,  and  I  am  getting  40  cents  apiece 
for  squabs.  The  demand  is  more  than  the  squab  raisers  can  furnish.  I  thought  I  would  take  a 
sample  of  your  birds,  and  they  surely  have  proven  good. — M.  M.,  State  of  Washington. 

CANNOT  SUPPLY  THE  DEMANDS  FOR  SQUABS  IN  THIS  ALABAMA  TOWN.  My  pigeons 
are  getting  along  fine.  I  cannot  very  well  supply  the  demands  here  for  squabs  and  may  have  to 
order  more  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  soon.  Please  write  me  at  once  as  I  would  like  to  order  as 
soon  as  possible.— C.  N.,  Alabama. 

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MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


LARGE  AND  PROFITABLE  FLOCK  BREEDING  HIGHEST-GRADE  SQUABS,  DEVELOPED 
IN  TWO  YEARS  FROM  A  PURCHASE  OF  ONLY  SEVEN  PAIRS.  In  the  early  part  of  1906 
I  Decame  interested  in  squab  raising.  After  reading  a  great  deal  on  the  subject,  and  especially 
the  "  National  Standard  Squab  Book,"  written  by  Elmer  C.  Rice  of  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab 
Co.,  I  concluded  to  try  my  hand  at  the  business,  not  so  much  for  profit  as  for  relief  from  the 
confining  work  of  my  profession.  I  was  fully  convinced  that  I  would  find  'the  work  not  only 
profitable  but  most  enjoyable. 

I  immediately  set  to  work,  at  odd  times,  to  fit  up  for  a  squab  loft  the  upstairs  of  a  small 
barn  on  the  south  end  of  a  city  lot  upon  which  my  residence  is  located.  At  the  present  time, 
I  have  the  upstairs  of  this  barn  divided  into  two  breeding  pens  with  one  flying  pen  to  the  west 
and  another  one  to  the  north.  In  order  to  give  my  birds  plenty  of  sunshine,  I  built  my  north 
flying  pen  as  high  as  the  eaves  of  the  barn.  By  so  constructing  it  the  birds  can  have  sunshine 
the  entire  day. 

In  February,  1906,  I  bought  of  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company  the  first  pigeons  I  have 
ever  owned,  consisting  of  seven  mated  pairs  of  as  fine  Homers  as  can  be  found  in  any  loft. 
All  but  one  pair  of  these  were  prolific  breeders.  From  one  of  these  pairs  I  have  raised  37  squabs, 
averaging  in  weight  about  13  ounces  each. 

Although  I  have  a  few  times  bought  elsewhere  a  pair  of  pigeons  that  suited  my  fancy  as  to 
color,  etc.,  I  have  failed  to  find  any  better  ones  than  those  mentioned  above. 

I  have  one  of  your  banding  outfits  with  which  I  make  open  aluminum  bands.  Just  before 
the  youngsters  intended  for  breeders  leave  the  nest,  I  place  on  them  one  of  these  bands.  I 
keep  a  very  careful  record  of  each  one  of  these  intended  breeders.  From  this  record  I  can  trace 
the  origin  of  any  of  the  breeders  which  I  have  raised  back  to  their  oldest  ancestors  in  my  loft. 
This  record  and  my  mating  coop  have  enabled  me  to  avoid  inbreeding. 

As  a  result  of  the  splendid  stock  of  birds  with  which  I  started,  proper  mating  and  the  best 
of  care,  I  now  (July,  1908,)  have  a  flock  of  nearly  250  exceptionally  good  Homers.  A  finer  flock 
I  have  never  seen.  Nearly  all  of  them  are  mated  and  doing  good  work. 

From  this  flock  I  have  sold  nearly  500  squabs,  and  I  am  now  putting  into  market  over  100 
per  month,  besides  retaining  some  of  the  choicest  squabs  for  breeders.  My  squabs  average 
nearly  nine  pounds  to  the  dozen.  With  the  exception  of  those  raised  by  very  young  parent 
birds,  they  average  over  nine  pounds  to  the  dozen,  while  a  few  go  as  high  as  12  pounds  to  the 
dozen. 

From  my  limited  experience  in  the  business,  I  am  fully  satisfied  that  squab  raising  is  not 
only  very  enjoyable  work,  but  also  very  profitable  to  the  one  who  starts  with  first-class  'c-rds, 
gives  them  first-class  care,  uses  ordinary  good  judgment  in  managing  the  business,  and  has 
stick-to-it  enough  to  give  the  business  a  fair  test  before  giving  up.  —  W.  A.  G.,  Ohio. 

HIS  NEIGHBOR,  AN  ENGLISH  EXPERT,  THIRTEEN-  YEAR-OLD    BOY    CHANGED 

COMPLIMENTED    HIS    PLYMOUTH    ROCK  HIS    BABYHOOD    PLAY-HOUSE    INTO    A 

HOMERS.     My    neighbor,    an    Englishman,  SQUAB    HOUSE   AT   A   TOTAL   EXPENDI- 

who  has  raised  pigeons  all  his  life  from  the  TURE      OF      TWENTY-FIVE      CENTS.       I 

time  he  was  a  boy  in  England,  complimented  changed  an  old  play-house  into  a  squab  house 

my    Plymouth    Rock    Homers    very    highly.  and  built  a  pen  and  the  whole  thing  cost  me 


One  side  of  his  pigeon  pen  forms  one  side  of  25  cents  for  bolts  and  wire  staples.  I  will 
mine,  our  two  nouses  joining,  and  we  have  send  you  sometime  some  photographs  of  my 
a  good  way  to  compare  the  birds,  side  by  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and  my  house.  I 


a  good  way  to  compare  the   birds,  side  by  Plymouth   Rock   Homers  and   my  house.     I 

side.     He  has  fine  birds  (raises  his  for  fliers),  follow  the  instructions  in  your  Manual  and 

but,  although  a  novice  hi  the  business  myself  am  well  _atisfied  with  everything.     My  papa 

and  not  authoritative  on  the  matter,  I  would  ordered    the    pigeons    for    me.     Your    we 

not  trade  my  pigeons  for  any  he  has.     It  was  pleased   customer.  —  W.   C.,  Massachusetts. 


pa 
ell- 


,  . 

and  not  authoritative  on  the  matter,  I  would  ordered    the    pigeons    for    me.     Your 

ot  trade  my  pigeons  for  any  he  has.     It  was  pleased   customer.  —  W.   C.,  Massachuse. 

ident  at  the  start  that  the  birds  you  sent          Note.     We  print  this  boy's  letter  because 

me  were  well  mated,  and  my  neighbor  also  we   think  he   holds   the   record   on   cheapest 

remarked  how  well  they  seemed  to  be  paired,  squab-house    construction    (or    remodeling). 

and  how  devoted  the  pairs  were  to  each  other.  Who  can  beat  it  ? 
I  think  also,  that  quite  an  affection  has  already 

grown  up  between  myself  and  the  birds,  of          STARTED  WITH  CHEAP  HOMERS,  BUT 

a  reciprocal   nature,    and    I   am   thoroughly  HAD  TO  KILL  THEM  OFF  AND  BUY  PLY- 

pleased     and     satisfied.—  R.     R.     M.,     West  MOUTH  ROCKS.     I  send  you  draft  for  $45. 

Virginia.  Send  the  birds  as  soon  as  you  can.     I  have 

the  squab  house  all  ready.     Last  fall  I  sent 

SQUABS  SOLD  IN  OHIO  AT  AN  AVERAGE  off  for  six  pairs,  then  early  this  spring  I  sent 

PRICE  OF  $3.36  A  DOZEN.     My  squabs  are  for  six  pairs  to  another  firm  (low-priced  place). 

doing    fine    now.     We    have    marketed    724  I  have  now  one  pair  that  is  fairly  good  and  one 

squabs  since  October  12,  1907,  to  June  20,  good    cock.     I   killed   the   others.     I   do   not 

1908,  off  210  pairs  of  birds  —  average  price  want  any  more  $1  per  pair  pigeons.  —  J.  B., 

apiece,  28  cents.  —  W.  H.,  Ohio.  Iowa. 

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MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


A  PAIR  OF  BIG  SQUABS. 

These  were  bred  by  the  Pennsylvania  man  whose  letter  is  printed  on  this  page.  Note  the  enormous  breasts 
and  their  plumpness.  They  are  world-beaters. 

STARTED  IN  TWO  HORSE-STALLS.     RAPID  PROGRESS  IN  ELEVEN  MONTHS.     I  sent 

you  my  first  order  for  six  pairs  of  Extras,  the  birds  arriving  November  23,  1907,  all  in  good 
condition  with  the  exception  of  one,  which  you  replaced  later  on.  I  selected  the  two  horse- 
stalls  in  the  barn  as  a  fit  place  for  keeping  p'igeons  and  put  in  the  floor,  windows,  nests,  etc., 
according  to  your  Manual.  I  succeeded  in  getting  the  first  pair  to  hatch  within  a  month's  time. 
It  was  very  cold,  which  somewhat  hindered  them  in  their  breeding.  The  remaining  birds  were 
all  at  work  soon  after  the  first  and  I  became  greatly  interested  in  them.  I  had  great  confidence 
in  this  new  venture  and  after  they  were  all  at  work,  I  first  conceived  how  fast  they  bred. 

In  the  month  of  January,  1908,  I  sent  my  second  order  for  eight  pairs  of  Extras,  these  birds 
arriving  January  25,  1908,  in  good  condition  with  the  exception  of  one,  which  you  so  generously 
replaced  later  on.  This  second  lot  of  birds  were  all  at  work  within  two  weeks  after  liberation. 
They  commenced  to  hatch  so  rapidly  that  I  find  I  have  at  this  date,  October  11,  1908,  about 
200  birds  in  all.  These  birds  include  the  original  14  pairs  and  their  offsprings.  My  birds  are  all 
banded  and  I  keep  a  careful  account  of  each  pair.  I  have  seen  quite  a  few  birds  in  town  classed 
as  Homers  which  do  not  near  compare  with  the  birds  I  bought  of  you.  My  pigeons  can  be  seen 
any  time  and  people  are  surprised  to  find  such  a  fine  lot  of  birds.  The  birds  which  I  bought  of 
you  and  their  offsprings  will  easily  average  from  seven  to  nine  pairs  a  year,  and  some  have 
hatched  for  the  tenth  time  in  less  than  a  year.  Some  of  the  nests  had  three  eggs  in  them  on 
two  or  three  occasions.  These  eggs  were  all  hatched  out  and  I  took  the  third  young  one  and  put 
it  in  the  nest  of  good  feeding  birds  who  raised  it  to  a  good  size. 

I  have  weighed  some  of  my  squabs  and  find  them  one  pound  and  over,  some  occasionally  being 
under  one  pound. 

After  having  read  your  Manual  thoroughlv  I  determined  to  make  the  feed  question  one  of  the 
principal  considerations.  I  use  the  self-feeder  which  you  describe  and  recommend.  I  mix  corn 
(which  includes  cracked  corn)  and  wheat  in  the  proportions  which  you  state  in  your  Manual  and 
keep  the  self-feeder  always  plentifully  supplied  with  it,  so  that  the  crops  of  their  young  are  well 
supplied.  I  also  feed  the  dainties  such  as  millet,  buckwheat,  peas,  hemp  seed  and  sunflower 
seeds,  throwing  lettuce,  cabbage  or  parsley  into  the  pen  twice  a  week.  The  birds  always  have 
rock-salt,  codfish  and  oystershell  before  them.  The  pens  are  re-graveled  every  six  weeks  and 

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MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


the  birds  are  always  in  good  health.  I  scald  the  drinking  fountains  several  times  a  week  and 
clean  the  apartments  every  week.  The  bathpans  are  filled  daily  so  that  they  can  keep  free 
from  vermin.  I  have  not  as  yet  been  seriously  troubled  with  lice  for  I  disinfect  thoroughly  every 
few  weeks.  I  have  tried  to  follow  your  Manual  in  every  way  possible  and  the  results  testify  to 
its  great  value  as  the  book  of  all  books  on  this  subject.  If  a  person  has  never  engaged  in  this 
pleasant  pursuit  he  need  but  buy  a  Manual  and  follow  its  teachings  and  success  is  sure  to  crown 
his  efforts.  It  takes  patience  from  the  start  and  those  who  think  of  get-rich-quick  schemes 
had  better  not  start  in  this  industry. — H.  P.  S.,  Pennsylvania. 


HER  BIRDS  IN  CALIFORNIA  LIKE  FINE 
TWIGS  FOR  NEST  BUILDING  BETTER 
THAN  STRAW.  We  have  now  28  mated  pairs 
and  I  have  another  pair  in  the  mating  coop, 
also  saw  a  pair  in  the  squab  pen  making  up 
to  each  other  this  morning.  We  are  very 
much  interested  in  the  work  and  intend  to 
continue  until  we  have  about  2000  birds  if  we 
can.  Of  course  we  will  soon  begin  to  sell 
some,  but  we  wish  to  have  enough  to  supply 
one  certain  place  before  we  do,  as  we  think 
by  so  doing  we  can  build  up  a  better  trade 
and  get  a  better  price  for  our  birds.  Several 
have  offered  to  buy  but  we  have  sold  none  yet. 
Every  one  says  our  birds  are  the  prettiest 
and  best  cared  for  they  ever  have  seen. 
They  think  we  take  unnecessary  pains  with 
them,  but  we  think  it  pays  to  do  so.  We 
started  in  March  last  (1907)  so  none  of  our 
squabs  is  more  than  nine  months  old  and  they 
all  mate  up  at  about  four  or  five  months. 
The  oldest  ones  have  had  several  pairs  of 
squabs  of  their  own.  We  have  followed  the 
Manual  and  think  it  all  right.  We  feed 
wheat,  corn,  cracked  corn,  Kaffir  corn,  mixed, 
as  a  daily  feed  and  three  times  a  week  Canada 
peas  and  hemp  seed  with  now  and  then  a 
little  rice.  We  have  running  water  in  our 
pens  and  we  use  eucalyptus  and  pepper  twigs 
for  the  nest  building,  as  they  seem  to  like 
the  fine  twigs  better  than  straw.  We  keep 
oystershell  and  charcoal  and  rock  salt  where 
they  can  get  it,  and  put  fresh  gravel  in  the 
pens  every  now  and  then.  We  wish  to  keep 
about  50  pairs  in  each  unit,  so  we  have  our 
first  one  almost  full.  We  expect  to  buy  more 
breeders  as  soon  as  we  can  and  not  depend 
altogether  on  our  own,  but  we  wanted  to  get 
a  start  and  be  able  to  handle  a  few  pairs 
properly  before  we  tried  so  many.  Wishing 
you  success  and  prosperity. — Mrs.  W.  W., 
California. 

WORTHY    OF    ENTIRE    CONFIDENCE. 

Enclosed  find  postal  money  order  for  which 
please  send  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers, 
according  to  your  Special  Offer  No.  3.  This 
is  my  third  order.  The  National  Standard 
Squab  Book  is  as  nearly  perfect  as  it  can  be 
and  has  given  me  both  pleasure  and  satis- 
faction. Your  improvements  -and  additions 
are  admirable.  I  am  ordering  from  you  be- 
cause you  are  I  think  entirely  reliable,  gen- 
erous and  worthy  of  my  entire  confidence. 
MV  \,':a.ns  are  nut  quite  matured  but  they 
-3ieaii  more  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers. — 
Mrs.  H.  A.  C.,  Georgia. 


SELLING  SQUABS  AT  GOOD  PRICES  AND 
BUYING  MORE  MATED  PAIRS.  I  pur- 
chased of  your  company  six  pairs  of  your 
Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  the  13th  of 
June,  1907,  and  six  pairs  the  27th  of  the  same 
month  and  had  no  trouble  in  getting  them  to 
work.  Some  of  them  started  to  nest  two 
days  after  I  received  them.  I  now  (May, 
1908),  have  60  mated  pairs  and  have  been 
selling  squabs  right  along  for  $3  and  $3.50 
a  dozen.  I  have  some  pairs  that  hatch  every 
month.  I  have  one  pair  that  hatch  three 
birds  quite  often  and  raise  them  all.  I  have 
some  squabs  that  weigh  one  pound  at  four 
weeks  of  age.  They  average  from  nine  to  1-1 
pounds  to  the  dozen.  I  have  sold  some  pairs 
for  $1.25  a  pair.  I  feed  the  best  of  grain, 
such  as  whole  corn,  red  wheat,  Kaffir  corn, 
millet,  hemp  seed  and  Canada  peas  and 
cracked  corn,  and  use  the  self-feeder  for  the 
wheat  and  corn  as  shown  in  your  Manual,  and 
like  it.  I  like  your  Manual  and  would  not  be 
without  it.  I  have  had  no  sickness  or  lice 
in  my  flock  as  I  use  plenty  of  lime,  and  keep 
my  house  well  whitewashed  inside  and  out- 
side. I  have  been  in  the  first  stores  in 
Pittsburg  and  in  several  pigeon  houses  around 
here  and  I  have  seen  none  to  compare  with 
mine.  I  have  some  young  birds  finer  than 
the  parent  birds.  I  like  the  birds  very  much 
and  the  business,  or  I  would  not  be  sending 
for  more  birds.  Your  birds  are  more  than 
you  claim  them  to  be,  for  my  birds  have 
shown  so.  It  will  pay  me  better  to  buy  mated 
birds  that  will  hatch  right  off  than  it  would 
to  wait  on  the  young  for  breeders,  as  I  can 
be  selling  squabs  all  that  time. — J.  H.  S., 
Pennsylvania. 

BEST  IN  A  LIFE  TIME.  I  have  read  your 
book  with  much  interest.  It  is  by  far  the 
best  I  have  ever  seen  on  the  subject  of  pigeon 
raising.  I  have  kept  pigeons  all  my  life, 
or  at  least  for  40  years,  from  the  common  to 
the  high-priced  carrier,  and  at  present  have 
a  coop  of  some  dozen  different  varieties,  all 
of  which  I  propose  disposing  of  and  putting 
in  the  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  See  enclosed, 
order.— W.  W.  B.,  New  Jersey. 

LARGEST  HOMERS  EVER  SEEN.  Tbf 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  I  bought  of  you 
last  season  are  doing  far  better  than  I  had 
anticipated.  Every  one  who  has  seen  them, 
without  an  exception,  says  they  are  the 
largest  Homers  they  have  ever  seen. — B.  E., 
District  of  Columbia. 


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281 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


KNOWS  WHERE  TO  GET  RELIABLE 
BIRDS.  I  know  where  to  come  for  reliable 
birds,  having  bought  my  Extra  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers  from  you.  See  enclosed  order. 
The  Extra  Homers  I  bought  of  you  June  1 
have  made  a  good  record.  I  knew  absolutely 
nothing  about  pigeons  and  had  never  seen  a 
first-class  bird  until  I  got  yours.  Have 
depended  entirely  on  your  Manual  for  my 
knowledge. — Mrs.  R.  O.,  Indiana. 

MORE  THAN  DOUBLED.  The  pigeons 
we  bought  of  you  in  September  are  doing 
nicely.  They  have  more  than  doubled  their 
number  and  our  young  stock  have  commenced 


AN  ODD  SQUAB  HOUSE. 

This  shows  the  small  plant  of  the  Massachusetts 
breeder  whose  letter  is  printed  above  and  beneath  the 
picture. 

laying.  One  pigeon  suddenly  became  lame 
after  his  arrival  here,  and  after  trying  to  cure 
him  we  finally  killed  him.  We  have  dis- 
covered no  more  lameness  in  our  flock. — 
S.  W.,  Massachusetts. 

SOME  WEIGH  ONE  POUND  AT  THREE 
WEEKS.  My  Plymouth  Rock  Extras  are  all 
doing  nicely  and  are  raising  squabs  that  aver- 
age a  pound  at  four  weeks.  Some  of  them  will 
weigh  a  pound  at  three  weeks. — P.  E., 
Pennsylvania. 


SET  BACK  BY  POOR  WHEAT.  I  started 
with  six  pairs.  Got  along  fine  until  I  got 
hold  of  a  lot  of  poor  wheat  which  made  my 
pigeons  very  sick.  This  happened  in  the 
latter  part  of  June,  '07.  I  had  by  this  time 
in  all  25  or  30  birds,  of  which  only  five  birds 
survived.  I  did  not  buy  more  pigeons  until 
I  had  my  pens  remodeled  so  as  to  hold  more 
birds.  Got  them  fixed  up  all  right  and  bought 
17  birds  of  you,  six  pairs  and  five  hens. 
They  mated  in  about  two  weeks,  raised  about 
seven  pairs  in  October,  November  nine 
pairs,  December  10  pairs,  January  11  pairs, 
February  nine  pairs,  and  I  have  ten  eggs  for 

I  do  not  feed  wheat  as  you  told  me  not  to. 
I  cannot  get  a  good  grade  of  wheat  so  I  feed 
all  Kaffir  corn  or  a  little  cracked  corn  mixed 
with  it. 

I  have  followed  your  Manual  in  every  way 
and  find  it  an  excellent  book,  as  I  did  not 
know  a  thing  about  pigeons  at  all. 

They  do  not  pay  as  good  prices  here  for 
squabs  as  they  do  in  the  North  and  East 
but  they  pay  well  considering  the  fact  that 
people  out  in  this  part  of  the  country  do  not 
know  much  about  good  squabs.  They  have 
been  used  to  breeding  the  common  pigeons' 
squabs  which  weigh  about-one-half  as  much  as 
the  squabs  I  raise.  I  had  five  out  of  the  nest 
the  28th  that  weighed  one  and  three-quarter 
pounds  apiece.  They  are  very  fine  birds. 
Fort  Worth  is  growing  every  year  very  fast. 
We  have  7500  people.  I  hope  I  will  be  able 
to  convince  the  hotel  people  that  they  are 
worth  more  than  40  cents  to  60  cents  a  pair. 
My  flock  is  growing  every  day  and  I  will  order 
more  birds  before  long. — J.  S.  W.,  Texas. 

KNEW  ENOUGH  ABOUT  PIGEONS  TO 
APPRECIATE  THE  BOOK.  Your  squab 
book  is  the  best  on  that  subject  I  have  ever 
read.  It  covers  the  ground  completely 
and  makes  everything  plain  and  clear  enough 
for  a  child  to  understand.  A  number  of 
years  ago  I  bred  and  flew  Homers  successfully 
for  about  five  years.  This  experience  en- 
abled me  to  understand  and  appreciate  your 
book  better  than  if  I  had  no  knowledge  of 
pigeon  raising.  I  will  be  glad  to  return 
the  old  Manual  and  receive  new  one.  I  will 
do  so  about  January  first,  as  I  like  to  look 
into  the  book  now  and  then  and  do  not  wish 
to  be  without  one. 

I  note  that  the  Pittsburgh  Dispatch  is 
quoting  squabs  at  $4.50  to  $5.00,  seconds  at 
$3.70  per  dozen. — A.  E.  C.,  Pennsylvania. 

WORTH  ALL  COMBINED.  We  think 
your  Manual  is  the  best  in  its  line.  We  have 
read  many  books  regarding  squab  breeding, 
but  none  has  given  us  the  satisfaction  your 
Manual  has.  We  would  not  trade  your 
Manual  for  the  whole  bunch.  Your  book  is 
so  clear  that  a  child  can  understand  it. — 
H.  &  F.  B.,  Ohio. 


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282 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


COST  HIM  ABOUT  EIGHTY  CENTS  A 
PAIR  A  YEAR.  My  birds  bought  of  you  work 
well,  raising  a  pair  about  every  six  weeks. 
I  have  about  40  young  ones  now  that  are 
beginning  to  mate.  One  pair  have  raised 
one  pair  of  nice  squabs  already.  I  would 
have  had  more  now,  but  the  rats  killed  quite 
a  few.  I  have  not  sold  any  yet,  have  been 
saving  them  for  stock.  I  have  had  several 
chances  to  sell  some  for  breeders,  but  I 
thought  I  would  rather  keep  them  myself. 
I  have  not  had  any  trouble  with  lice  or  sick- 
ness so  far.  I  always  keep  the  lofts  cleaned 
out.  I  feed  mostly  cracked  corn,  Kaffir  corn 
and  wheat,  with  buckwheat  mixed  in  when 
I  can  get  it.  About  three  times  a  week  I 
throw  in  some  red  millet,  they  are  always 
looking  for  it.  I  have  followed  the  Manual 
in  regard  to  feeding.  In  the  winter  I  feed 
more  corn  than  wheat,  and  in  the  summer 
more  wheat  than  corn.  I  think  it  has  cost 
me  about  70  or  80  cents  a  pair  for  the  year. 
I  made  a  self-feeder  like  the  one  outlined  in 
the  Manual  and  think  it  is  all  right.  Feed  has 
been  high  here  for  quite  a  while.  I  think 
anybody  can  make  money  raising  pigeons 
if  they  tend  to  business  and  read  their  Manual. 
I  think  it  is  all  right.  I  like  to  work  around 
the  lofts  and  watch  the  old  ones  take  care  of 
the  young.  I  have  two  sections,  one  to 
keep  the  old  ones  in  and  the  other  for  the 
young.  I  keep  all  my  pigeons  banded.  I 
use  the  open  legbands.  I  like  them  better 
than  the  others.  Part  of  the  birds  seem  to 
like  to  build  on  the  floor  better  than  in  the 
nest  bowls.  I  use  clean  straw  for  them  to 
make  nests. — E.  L.  Y.,  Illinois. 

NEARLY  ALL  HIS  PLYMOUTH  ROCK 
SQUABS  WEIGH  ONE  POUND  EACH. 

I  would  like  to  say  that  your  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers  are  fine  birds.  The  second  week  I 
got  them  they  started  to  work,  although  it  was 
last  February  and  very  cold  weather.  I 
have  now  over  40  young  ones  and  I  sold  some 
also.  I  certainly  would  not  have  any  other 
kind  of  a  pigeon  about  me.  It  used  to  worry 
me  for  fear  I  could  not  get  my  squabs  to 
weigh  up  to  some  of  your  customers,  who  say 
in  your  National  Standard  Squab  Book  that  they 
have  squabs  weighing  10  to  12  pounds  to  the 
dozen.  Now  I  have  some  that  weigh  more 
than  that.  I  have  had  some  that  weighed 
14  ounces,  but  most  all  weicrh  a  pound  apiece. 
I  am  going  into  the  pigeon  business  on  a  large 
scale,  and  every  one  of  my  birds  will  be  from 
you,  as  soon  as  I  get  a  place  where  I  can 
enlarge  my  plant. — C.  H.  P.,  Pennsylvania. 

BUILDS  A  NEW  HOUSE  AFTER  FIFTEEN 
MONTHS'  EXPERIENCE  WITH  A  TRIAL 
LOT.  Fifteen  months  ago  I  bought  six 
pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  of  you. 
They  are  doing  splendid.  I  think  I  will  want 
another  small  lot  when  I  have  my  new  house 
done  that  I  am  building. — W.  A.  R.,  Maryland. 


HAD  SUCCESS  WITH  HIS  BIRDS  FOL- 
LOWING PLYMOUTH  ROCK  METHODS. 

Please  send  me  some  of  your  pigeon  literature 
for  1908  if  you  have  any.  I  bought  one  of  your 
Manuals  in  1907  and  am  very  much  pleased 
with  it  and  I  would  not  part  with  it  for  five 
dollars.  I  have  had  success  with  my  tirds 
since  I  had  it  and  recommend  it  to  all  my 
friends.  It  is  full  of  facts  that  are  true, 
and  is  written  so  that  any  one  can  understand 
it  that  reads  it.  I  love  pigeons  and  I  like 
to  see  others  make  a  success  with  them. — 
E.  H..  Maryland. 

CLEVELAND  (OHIO)  MARKET.  Monday, 
October  19, 1908,1  was  offered  $2.50  a  dozen 
for  squabs  just  taken  off  the  nest,  not  killed. 
It  has  been  stated  in  this  city  (Cleveland) 
that  squabs  will  go  up  as  high  as  $3  a  dozen 
wholesale.— W.  E.  P.,  Ohio. 


TOBACCO  STEMS. 

Used  for  nesting  material  You  should  not  use 
these  stems  if  you  are  going  to  sell  the  manure  to 
tanneries  because  they  do  not  want  manure  containing 
tobacco  stems,  as  the  stems  stain  the  hides.  If  you 
are  not  going  to  sell  the  manure  to  tanneries  but  to 
gardeners  and  florists  you  can  use  tobacco  stems  as 
they  are  an  excellent  preventive  against  lice. 

WOMAN'S  SUCCESS  LEADS  TO  AN- 
OTHER ORDER.  Some  time  last  winter 
I  was  at  Spring  City,  Tennessee,  and  advised 
a  woman  to  order  some  of  your  pigeons. 
They  having  proven  very  satisfactory  to  her, 
and  upon  her  recommendation  after  a  trial, 
I  am  enclosing  you  herewith  New  York 
exchange  for  $30  for  which  please  send  me 
as  early  as  possible  your  Special  Offer  No.  1, 
Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  etc. — J.  M.  C., 
North  Carolina. 

DOING   WONDERS   IN   VERMONT.     Our 

birds  are  doing  fine  and  for  the  care  they 
have  had  have  done  wonders  since  we  got 
them.  We  find  very  few  inbreeding.  If  you 
have  any  new  literature,  please  advise  us. — 
J.  O.  S.,  Vermout. 


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283 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


SQUABS  AS  FAT  AS  AN  OLD  HEN.  I 
have  100  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 
and  am  well  pleased  with  them.  I  dressed 
16  Homer  squabs  yesterday  that  averaged 
just  a  pound  apiece.  Several  were  only  26 
days  old.  My  principal  feed  is  cracked  and 
whole  corn,  red  wheat  and  millet  seed,  also 
feed  some  Kaffir  corn  and  think  well  of  it. 
I  use  tobacco  stems  for  nesting  material. 

My  squabs  are  as  fat  as  an  old  hen  at  four 
weeks.  My  birds  are  healthy,  snappy  and 
strong  and  working  fine.  In  banding  squabs 
or  young  birds  before  leaving  nest  how  can 
I  tell  male  from  female,  as  I  want  to  know 
which  leg  to  place  band  on? — H.  R.,  Ohio. 

Answer.  You  cannot  tell  at  that  age. 
Put  the  band  on  either  leg  and  transfer  it  to 
the  correct  leg  when  the  bird  discloses  its 
sex  by  its  actions  at  four  to  five  months. 


LUMP  OF  ROCK  SALT. 

This  kind  of  salt  and  no  other  should  be  fed  to 
pigeons.  By  pecking  at  it  they  get  off  enough  and 
cannot  harm  themselves  by  eating  too  much.  If  you 
feed  our  Health  Grit  you  do  not  need  to  provide  this 
rock  salt. 

A  BOY'S  PLEASURE.  You  have  treated 
me  very  nice.  I  am  fully  satisfied  with  what 
birds  I  have  got  from  you.  I  have  done 
everything  you  recommend  in  your  Manual. 
The  red  checkers  raised  one  pair  of  squabs 
which  weighed  almost  two  pounds  when 
three  weeks  old.  I  would  like  very  much  to 
order  some  of  your  specials,  but  I  am  only 
12  years  old  and  just  starting  out.  I  am  also 
a  cripple,  not  being  able  to  do  very  much 
myself,  consequently  I  must  depend  entirely 
on  my  father  for  assistance.  I  do  not  like 
to  ask  too  much  of  him.  I  feel  that  he  does 
all  he  can  for  my  pleasure.  My  education 
is  from  him,  as  I  have  never  been  able  to  go 
to  school. — E.  D.,  Illinois. 


HAD  EXPERIENCE  WITH  COMMON 
PIGEONS,  POOR  HOMERS  AND  PLYMOUTH 
ROCK  HOMERS.  I  had  a  notion  that  the 
common  pigeons  would  do  as  well  in  raising 
and  raise  as  large  squabs  as  the  Homers 
would,  but  I  was  greatly  mistaken  as  you  will 
see.  I  kept  my  common  pigeons  for  about 
four  or  five  months,  which  was  enough  for  me' 
because  it  cost  more  to  feed  them  than  I  got 
for  my  squabs,  so  I  sold  out  all  of  my  common 

g'geons  and  bought  some  Homers.  These 
omers  I  got  from  men  who  were  selling  for 
75  cents  and  $1.50  a  pair  which  did  not  do 
much  better  than  my  common  pigeons,  so  I  got 
thoroughly  disgusted  with  pigeons  and  sold 
out  again.  About  two  weeks  later  I  saw  your 
advertisement,  which  was  the  starting  of 
my  success.  I  liked  your  advertisement 
and  sent  off  for  your  catalogue.  What 
I  found  in  your  catalogue  was  true  and  it 
sounded  like  the  truth.  I  liked  the  cata- 
logue so  well  that  I  sent  for  your  Manual, 
which  you  sell  for  50  cents,  which  is  not  a 
hundredth  of  its  value.  After  I  read  the 
Manual  I  ordered  some  of  your  Extra  Homers. 
I  thought  you  would  give  me  good  birds  the 
first  time  and  bad  birds  the  second  time,  but 
the  second  order  was  filled  with  as  good  birds 
as  the  first.  I  got  my  first  birds  from  you  in 
the  winter,  about  February,  1908.  By  mail 
you  sent  me  a  slip  of  the  most  valuable 
information  that  I  ever  read  or  will  read  in 
my  life. 

I  kept  fresh  water  before  my  birds  all  the 
time.  I  did  not  let  the  birds  drink  the 
bathing  water  at  all.  In  the  winter  time 
the  water  would  freeze  at  night  but  fresh 
water  was  put  in  every  morning.  My  pigeons 
did  better  in  the  winter  than  in  the  summer. 

I  feed  my  pigeons  wheat,  cracked  corn, 
hemp  seed  and  about  a  double  handful  a  week 
of  Kaffir  corn  and  sunflower  seed,  which 
altogether  is  about  the  most  digestible  and 
fattening  for  the  squabs.  I  keep  salt, 
charcoal,  grit  and  oystershell  before  them  all 
the  time.  I  give  my  pigeons  about  four  or 
five  heads  of  lettuce  every  week.  I  followed 
your  Manual  in  every  way  possible.  In  a 
few  days  I  will  send  you  a  third  order  for 
your  Extra  Homers. — P.  A.,  North  Carolina. 

BUSY   WORKING   ALL  THE   TIME.     As 

you,  no  doubt,  remember,  I  bought  15  pairs 
of  your  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  last  March. 
Am  very  well  pleased  with  them.  My 
Homers  are  doing  fine,  busy  working  all  the 
time.  When  I  want  more  Homers  will  place 
the  order  with  you. — H.  J.,  Ohio. 

SELLING  SQUABS  REGULARLY  FROM 
A  SPLENDID  FLOCK  OF  BREEDERS.  In 

February,  1906,  I  bought  a  few  pairs  of  very 
good  pigeons  from  you,  from  which  I  have 
raised  a  splendid  flock  of  breeders  from  which 
I  have  been  selling  squabs  regularly  for  the 
last  eight  months.— G.  A.  W.,  Ohio. 


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284 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


HEAD  OF  SORGHUM  SEED. 

This  is  fed  largely  to  pigeons  by  our  customers  in  the  Southern  States.  The  birds  are  very  fond  of  it.  The 
berries  are  brown  in  color  and  a  little  smaller  than  Kaffir  corn.  When  dried,  this  head  of  sorghum  cane  may  be 
thrown  directly  into  the  squab  house  and  the  birds  will  peck  the  berries  off  the  stalk. 


AFTER  HE  HAD  TRIED  PLYMOUTH 
ROCK  HOMERS  HE  DISPOSED  OF  HIS 
OTHER  PIGEONS  BOUGHT  OF  OTHERS. 

I  am  sending  you  a  small  order  for  24  pairs 
Extra.  Please  ship  birds  as  soon  as  possible. 
The  birds  are  doing  well  I  got  of  you  60  days 
ago.  I  have  disposed  of  all  my  other  pigeons 
bought  of  others  and  only  have  what  birds 
I  bought  of  you.  I  intend  to  keep  buying 
until  I  get  what  stock  I  need.  I  had  a  local 
trade  but  I  let  it  go,  because  I  would  not  sell 
squabs  from  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  at  the 
same  price  I  sold  former  squabs.  I  will  have 
a  four  to  six  dozen  capacity  plant  and  would 
ask  for  the  address  of  some  firm  in  Pittsburg 
or  New  York  City  to  whom  I  could  sell  a 
couple  of  five  dozen  shipments,  just  to  keep 
from  housing  them  in  my  loft.  The  main 
point  is  to  get  in  touch  with  the  market. 
I  prefer  to  sell  my  squabs  and  buy  breeding 
stock  of  a  mature  age,  but  I  do  not  want  to 
spoil  the  market  or  give  them  away  to  the 
local  trade  for  40  cents  a  pair.  You  need  not 
be  afraid  to  give  me  the  name  of  your  nearest 
fancy  squab  buyer. 

My  shipping  boxes  are  being  made  of  white 
enamel  inside  and  white  painted  hard  wood 
outside.  The  white  enamel  box  is  to  fit 
in  the  white  wood  box,  allowing  enough  room 
for  ice.  The  boxes  are  to  be  returned  to  me 
at  my  expense.  I  hope  you  will  consider 
the  proposition.  Now  I  have  tried  many 
squab  companies  and  if  you  people  will  do 
anyway  right  I  will  buy  all  the  stock  I  can 
from  you. — R.  B.,  Pennsylvania. 

A  WOMAN'S  SHORT  AND  SATISFACTORY 
MESSAGE.  The  pigeons  I  got  from  you 
several  years  ago  have  been  most  satisfactory. 

— Josephine  S.  H.,  Massachusetts. 


RECEIVING  FIFTY-FIVE  CENTS  A  PAIR 
FOR  SQUABS.  Our  No.  1  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers  breed  squabs  weighing  eight  pounds 
to  the  dozen  and  we  are  receiving  55  cents 
a  pair  for  them.  We  have  found  •  your 
Manual  a  great  help  and  have  followed  it 
almost  entirely,  and  never  pick  it  up  without 
seeing  something  that  we  missed  on  previous 
readings.  We  are  feeding  from  your  self- 
feeder  a  mixture  of  whole  corn,  cracked  corn 
and  wheat,  varying  the  proportion  as  we 
notice  they  scatter  one  grain  or  another, 
but  usually  about  one-third  each.  Then  we 
throw  to  them  on  the  floor  different  mixtures 
of  millet,  Kaffir  corn,  Canada  peas,  hemp 
seed  and  rice.  On  the  whole  we  are  well 
pleased  with  the  birds  and  the  business  and 
we  hope  to  increase  our  stock  as  rapidly  as 
possible. — H.  J.  B.,  Pennsylvania. 

EVERYTHING  TRUE  IN  MANUAL.  I 
have  your  Manual.  It  is  complete  and  you 
make  no  false  statements.  Everything  you 
say  is  true,  and  if  anyone  is  wishing  to  start, 
I  would  advise  them  to  get  a  hundred  pairs; 
don't  start  with  a  few.  Our  last  order  was 
small  because  we  do  not  know  whether  we 
will  stay  in  this  town  or  not,  but  when  we 
are  permanently  located  we  will  order  a  hun- 
dred or  more  pairs. — R.  M.,  Iowa. 

BREEDER  OF  COMMON  PIGEONS  CON- 
VERTED BY  OBSERVATION  OF  PLYMOUTH 
ROCK  HOMERS.  Enclosed  find  order  for 
some  of  your  best  Extras.  Your  Manual 
came  a  few  days  ago.  It  is  all  that  you  claim 
for  it.  Have  had  a  good  deal  of  experience 
with  common  pigeons,  but  have  seen  your 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  at  work  and  they 
are  "  the  thing." — R.  D.,  Texas. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

285 


HEALTH  GRIT. 


This  is  a  photograph  of  our  Health  Grit,  for  which  we  have  an  enormous  sale.  It  will  pay  for  itself  many  times 
ver  increasing  both  the  number  and  the  size  of  the  squabs  and  also  keeping  the  whole  Hock  in  first-cuss  condition. 
Sov^hol-graph  shows,  clearly  the  small  shells  and  the  gravel  and  charcoal  which are  m  the  grit.  1  here  are 


trade  secret.     We  receive 


over, 

The  above  photograph  L..^..«  — — ., ~ 

half  a  dozen  ingredients  in  the  grit,  including  medicinal  substances.    The  formula  is      

hundreds  of  letters  praising  this  grit  Nearly  all  of  our  large  customers,  aimed  wWuJBt  a  single  exception  feed 
it  constant  y  to  their  flocks.  The  value  of  this  grit  is  well  indicated  by  the  following  letter  received  from  a  customer 
in  Connecticut  in  \hv  1!K)S:  "  l'le.M<e  send  enclosed  order  for  your  Health  Grit  as  soon  as  possible  as  we  have 
lost  a  few  Sons  lately  I  think  it  is  because  I  got  out  of  the  grit.  They  are  crazy  about  it  and  were  healthy 
when  they  had  it." 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


1.    RED  WHEAT. 


2.    CANADA  PEAS- 


3.    HEMPSEED. 


On  this  page  and  on  the  pages  that  follow  we  print  pictures  reproduced  from  direct  photographs  of  grain 
used  in  squab  raising;  also  grit,  shells,  etc.  These  pictures  have  come  out  very  well  and  will  give  our  readers 
scattered  over  this  continent  and  in  other  parts  of  the  world  a  clear  idea  of  what  we  are  talking  about. 

In  the  above  picture  (the  first  of  the  series)  No.  1  is  a  sample  of  good  red  wheat,  showing  the  plumpness  of  the 
berries.  No.  2,  Canada  peas.  No.  3,  hempseed. 


ENLARGED  PLANT  AND  FLOCK.  Seven 
months  ago  we  bought  one  dozen  pairs  of  your 
Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  We  now 
have  78  young.  Ten  pairs  of  young  have 
mated  and  we  find  them  to  be  larger  than  their 
parents.  Our  squabs  at  four  weeks  weigh 
from  12  ounces  to  15  ounces  apiece.  We 
keep  constantly  before  them  pure  fresh  water 
and  we  feed  from  a  self-feeder  made  from 
your  pattern,  filled  with  two  parts  whole 
corn  and  one  part  red  wheat,  then  at  noon 
we  feed  some  dainty  placed  on  a  flat  board 
with  raised  edges,  alternating  between 
Kaffir  corn,  buckwheat  and  hemp  seed  with 
rice  on  Sunday.  We  keep  a  cash  account  of 
everything  and  find  at  present  prices  we  are 
able  to  keep  our  birds  at  the  rate  of  $1  per 
pair  per  year.  We  have  surveyed  a  place  for  a 
pigeon  house  of  five  units  to  be  built  on  our 
plan  and  hope  before  many  months  to  be 
doing  business  on  a  paying  basis.  I  am 
fully  convinced  there  is  money  in  it.  Your 
Manual  is  just  fine  and  cannot  be  beat  as  far 
as  I  know.  It  has  been  the  secret  of  our 
successful  start  so  far.  We  have  to  refer 
to  it  very  often.  We  wish  you  even  greater 
success  than  in  the  past. — A.  L.  H.,  New 
York. 


RECEIVES  TWENTY  CENTS  EACH  FOR 
SQUABS  ALIVE  AND  FINDS  THAT  THIS 
PRICE  PAYS.  I  started  in  April,  1906,  with 
24  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  They 
got  to  work  in  about  three  weeks.  The 
squabs  weigh  eight  to  nine  pounds  a  dozen. 
I  sell  the  squabs  alive  at  four  weeks  old  for 
20  cents  each.  I  have  not  sold  any  live 
breeders,  but  I  have  had  chances  and  re- 
ferred them  to  you.  I  have  fed  as  your 
Manual  says.  I  have  no  trouble  with  lice. 

I  like  my  birds  and  think  there  is  money 
in  them,  but  one  has  to  have  a  large  flock  to 
do  much.  I  intend  to  keep  at  it  and  this 
spring  will  build  me  three  more  pens,  as  I 
now  have  three  and  I  want  to  get  500  pairs, 
and  will  send  for  more  later.  Your  Manual 
is  all  right  and  very  plain  in  every  way.  I  use 
egg  boxes  for  nests,  tobacco  stems  and  straw. 
— B.  A.  L.,  Connecticut. 

YES,  WE  ARE  CONVINCED  AND  THANK 
YOU.  I  bought  my  first  lot  of  birds  from 
you.  Since  I  have  bought  elsewhere,  but 
I  believe  you  are  the  most  reliable  to  deal 
with  and  this  order  will  confirm  my  belief 
and  convince  another,  too. — P.  P.  S.,  Mas- 
sachusetts. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

287 


MOR£  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


WOOD  sri; i:\vs. 


5.    KAFFIR  CORN. 


6.    SORGHUM  CAXK  «:KI>. 


In  this  picture  we  show  in  the  first  group  a  lot  of  common  wood  screws  seven-eighths  of  an  inch  long.  (These 
are  the  screws  which  we  furnish  with  every  order  for  nest  bowls,  for  screwing  the  bowls  to  the  bottoms  of  the  nest 
boxes.)  Our  object  in  printing  the  screws  is  to  afford  the  eye  of  the  reader  a  measure  of  comparison  with  these 
different  grains.  For  example,  in  the  above  photograph  the  sample  No.  5  is  Kaffir  corn.  By  comparing  •  the 
Kaffir  corn  with  the  screws,  the  eye  of  the  observer  forms  a  correct  estimate  of  the  size  of  the  Kaffir  corn  and  also 
the  other  grains  in  the  other  pictures.  These  photographs  show  the  actual  sizes  of  the  objects.  The  grain  in  No. 
6  is  sorghum  cane  seed,  full  size.  A  reduced  photograph  of  a  head  of  sorghum  cane  is  shown  on  page  285. 


QUICKLY  AT  WORK  IN  MONTANA.  I 
think  we  will  send  for  Special  Offer  No.  7  and 
extra  supplies  this  month.  Our  birds  (100 
pairs)  received  May  17,  have  done  very  well. 
Some  pairs  are  setting  (August)  for  the  third 
time.  Have  a  four-unit  house  in  course  of 
construction,  part  of  which  we  will  fill  with 
selected  young  from  our  own  flock.  I  have 
sold  about  five  dozen  squabs  and  it  is  three 
months  today  since  the  birds  were  received, 
and  have  about  100  young  in  the  squab 
house,  which  we  expect  to  keep  for  breeders. — 
S.  A.  P..  Montana. 

SUCCESS  TOLD  BY  REPEATED  ORDERS 
FROM  IOWA.  I  send  you  money  order  for 
$150  for  which  send  me  Extra  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers  as  per  your  Special  Offer  No.  7. 
I  would  like  birds  in  pkce  of  supplies  which 
I  think  amount  to  $24.98,  making  238  birds 
according  to  the  offer.  I  would  like  to  get 
650  mated  birds  in  three  shipments  and  will 
send  you  an  order  every  two  weeks  until  that 
number  is  supplied.  In  November,  1907, 
I  bought  of  you  12  pu:rs  No.  1  and  12  pairs 
Extra.— R.  I.  E.,  Iowa. 


FIFTY  CENTS  A  PAIR  ALIVE.  I  am  sell- 
ing my  squabs  to  a  local  cafe  and  am  receiv- 
ing 50  cents  per  pair  alive.  If  you  think  I 
can  do  better  than  that  in  larger  cities, 
kindly  send  me  the  names  of  some  firms  who 
are  in  the  market  for  heavy  squabs,  the 
average  weight  being  10  pounds  to  the  dozen. 
Also  please  send  me  all  your  latest  circulars. 
Hoping  to  have  a  prompt  reply  and  wishing 
you  all  the  success  that  you  deserve. — 
P.  A.  W.,  Pennsylvania. 

PRAISE  FROM  AN  OLD  BREEDER. 
The  Manual  is  "  non  plus  ultra,"  without  a 
peer,  can't  be  beat.  I  read  it  through  twice 
and  still  I  find  something  interesting  each 
time  I  pick  it  up  again.  I  have  raised 
Belgium  Homers  since  a  small  boy. — H.  T., 
Pennsylvania. 

ALL   WE    CLAIMED    FOR   THEM.     If   I 

had  the  room  and  money,  I  would  like  to  buy 
100  pairs  from  you,  as  the  No  1  birds  I  bought 
from  you  are  all  you  claimed  for  them  and  if 
the  Extras  are  so  much  better,  they  certainly 
must  be  fine. — G.  R.  J.,  West  Virginia. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

288 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


7.    WHOLE  CORN.  8.    COARSE  CRACKED.  9.    FINE  CRACKED. 

No.  7  is  common  yellow  whole  corn.  No.  8  is  coarse-cracked  corn  sifted  and  No.  9  is  fine-cracked  corn  sifted. 
(See  the  chapter  on  feed  in  this  Manual  for  full  instructions.)  As  a  rule  the  coarse-cracked  corn  No.  8  should  be 
fed  instead  of  the  fine-cracked  corn  No.  9.  This  No.  9  sample  of  corn  is  what  is  known  as  chick-cracked  corn.  It 
is  good  for  little  chicks. 


HIS  SMALLEST  PLYMOUTH  ROCK 
SQUAB  WEIGHS  THREE-QUARTERS  OF  A 
POUND  AT  THE  AGE  OF  THREE  WEEKS. 

My  birds  are  very  tame,  so  much  so  that  when 
I  go  into  the  coop  with  hemp  seed  or  other 
dainties  and  hold  out  my  hand,  they  fly  right 
on  it  and  eat.  I  was  weighing  my  squabs 
yesterday,  and  the  smallest  one  I  have  at 
present  weighs  three-quarters  of  a  pound. 
It  was  three  weeks  old  yesterday.- — G.  A.  W., 
New  Jersey. 

HOT  SELLERS.  I  want  to  know  if  it 
is  too  late  for  me  to  send  for  pigeons  on  that 
Special  Offer.  If  it  is  not  too  late,  when  I 
hear  from  you  I  will  forward  the  money. 
I  am  having  good  luck  with  the  pigeons  I 
bought  of  you  last  year  and  am  selling  the 
squabs  as  fast  as  I  get  them. — T.  N.,  British 
Columbia. 

WE  SELL  TO  HUNDREDS  OF  FANCIERS 
TO  BREED  FLYERS.  Although  I  am  not 
interested  much  in  squab  breeding  I  am 
interested  in  flying.  A  dealer  in  my  neighbor- 
hood has  a  few  of  your  birds  and  finds  them 
pretty  good  for  flying  so  I  intend  to  try  some. — 
L.  S.  B.,  Pennsylvania. 


THREE  PAIRS  SHOW  WHAT  THEY 
ARE  GOOD  FOR.  Ever  since  I  have  had 
your  birds  they  have  bred  remarkably  well, 
one  pair  raising  eleven  pairs  of  fine  squabs 
in  one  year.  Not  one  pair  that  I  bought  of 
you  or  raised  myself  has  raised  less  than 
nine  pairs  of  prime  market  squabs  per  year. 
I  think  that  is  a  fair  record.  Besides  eating 
plenty  of  squabs,  I  have  worked  up  a  flock 
of  30  pairs  of  prime  breeders  from  the  origi- 
nal small  lot  of  three  pairs. — R.  E.  F., 
Michigan. 

GOOD  PRICES  FOR  SQUABS  IN  PENNSYL- 
VANIA. Squabs  have  been  quoted  at  $4 
to  $4.25  per  dozen,  seven  pounds  to  the  dozen, 
in  our  papers  here.  I  do  not  know  what  mine 
weigh  as  I  have  not  weighed  any  of  them,  but 
feel  satisfied  that  they  will  go  more  than  that 
as  they  are  large. — A.  A.  R.,  Pennsylvania. 

EVERY  WORD  TRUTH.  A  friend  of  mine 
gave  me  one  of  your  National  Standard  Squao 
Books  the  other  day  and  I  have  read  it  through 
and  think  it  is  every  word  truth,  having 
raised  pigeons  a  long  time,  but  never  for 
the  market,  so  think  I  know  a  little  about  it. — 
R.H.,Iowa. 


LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB   COMP/NY 

289 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


10.    WHITE  WHEAT. 


11.    POOR  RED  WHEAT. 


12.    WHEAT  SCREENINGS 


No.  10  is  good  white  wheat.  (It  is  all  right  to  feed  white  wheat  to  pigeons  if  you  cannot  get  red  wheat.)  No. 
11  shows  a  poor  quality  of  red  wheat.  The  berries  vary  in  size,  showing  that  the  wheat  is  a  mixture,  and  sprinkled 
through  them  can  be  seen  oats  and  elevator  sweepings.  No.  12  is  an  even  poorer  kind  of  wheat  known  as  wheat 
screenings.  This  is  the  refuse  of  a  wheat  elevator,  including  sweepings,  broken  grain,  hulls,  rat  manure,  etc.  Such 
sweepings  or  screenings  are  not  a  profitable  feed  for  pigeons.  They  are  fed  quite  largely  by  many  people  who  buy 
the  cheapest  they  can  get  of  anything,  but  a  flock  fed  on  this  will  be  out  of  condition  and  will  raise  poor  squabs. 


WHITE  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS 
WORTH  FIVE  DOLLARS  A  PAIR.  My 

partner  sent  to  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab 
Company  for  a  pair  of  your  white  Homers 
and  when  he  got  them  they  were  dandy  ones. 
They  were  worth  the  money.  When  he  sent 
for  them,  we  just  wanted  to  see  if  they  were 
good,  and  we  sent  for  five  more  pairs  at 
$2.75  a  pair.  We  got  them  safely  and  now 
I  wouldn't  sell  them  for  a  V.— F.  L.,  New 
York. 

RAISED  THREE  YEARS  FOR  FAMILY 
USE.  I  saw  your  advertisement  in  the  Ladies 
Home  Journal  and  will  be  glad  if  you  will 
send  me  one  of  your  free  1908  books  on  squab 
raising.  We  bought  pigeons  of  vou  about 
three  years  ago.  They  have  been  very 
satisfactory.  We  raise  them  for  family  use 
only. — Mrs.  J.  G.  P.,  Virginia. 

WOULD  PAY  TEN  DOLLARS  FOR  THIS 
BOOK.  I  would  not  be  without  your  Manual 
no,  not  if  it  cost  me  $10  to  get  one,  for  it  gives 
me  more  instruction,  pleasure  and  satisfaction 
than  I  can  express. — L.  A.  W.,  Georgia. 


WANTS  ONLY  THE  SQUABS  WHICH 
PLYMOUTH  ROCK  EXTRAS  BREED.  I 
am  mailing  you  $20  for  which  I  want  Extra 
fancy  Plymouth  Rock  Homer  breeders. 
I  am  breeding  about  100  pairs  of  Homers 
that  produce  squabs  that  weigh  about  nine 
and  one-half  pounds,  but  the  demand  is  for 
the  largest.  So  send  me  something  good. 
Mr.  Chase,  my  neighbor,  bought  a  few  pairs 
of  you  about  one  year  ago  and  has  been  hav- 
s. —  E. 


ing  very  good  success. 


.  E.  T.,  Missouri. 


RECOMMENDED    BY    A    FRIEND.     Will 

you  please  send  me  price  list  and  literature 
about  the  raising  of  squabs  ?  A  friend  of  ours 
recommended  your  company  to  us,  as  his 
son-in-law  purchased  some  pigeons  of  you 
last  spring  and  they  are  very  satisfactory.  — 
W.  H.,  State  of  Washington. 

ONE  DOLLAR  A  PAIR  FOR  PLYMOUTH 
ROCK    SQUABS    IN    PITTSBURG.     I     am 

getting  $1  per  pair  for  all  the  squabs  I  can 
raise,  and  will  have  another  order  for  breeding 
stock  as  soon  as  I  can  arrange  for  larger 
quarters.  —  •  H.  R.,  Pennsylvania. 


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290 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


13.    BARLEY. 


14.    OATS. 


SUNFLOWER  SEEDS. 


No.  13  is  barley,  which  may  be  fed  if  plentiful  and  cheap.  No.  14  is  oats,  which  may  be  fed  if  plentiful  and 
cheap,  but  they  are  not  generally  fed  here  in  the  East  because  the  squab  raiser  gets  more  for  his  money  in  other 
grains.  No.  15  is  sunflower  seeds  Sunflower  seeds  grow  freely  without  attention  almost  everywhere.  The 
heads  when  dried  may  be  thrown  directly  into  the  squab  pen  and  the  birds  will  peck  the  seeds  out  of  the  heads. 
Sunflower  seeds  sell  at  retail  for  from  six  to  eight  cents  a  pound,  sometimes  more.  Nearly  every  drug  store  sells 
them  for  parrot  feed.  The  supply  comes  mostly  from  the  West,  although  a  great  deal  is  exported  from  Copen- 
hagen, Denmark.  To  buy  sunflower  seeds  and  feed  them  to  pigeons  is  not  profitable  for  the  squab  raiser,  because 
hempseed  sells  for  less  money,  namely  five  cents  a  pound,  and  hempseed  is  better  than  sunflower  seeds  for  the  birds. 


GOT  THIS  BOOK  FROM  A  LIBRARY  AND 
STUDIED  IT  STEADILY  FOR  A  MONTH. 

I  am  just  starting  in  the  pigeon  business  and 
I  would  like  you  to  give  me  a  few  starting 
points.  I  went  to  the  library  to  get  a  pigeon 
book  and  I  found  a  book  which  you  published 
and  I  read  that  book  every  day  for  two  weeks, 
and  then  I  took  it  back  and  had  it  renewed 
for  two  more  weeks  and  I  still  have  it. — A.  K., 
Indiana. 

PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  KNOWN  IN  UTAH. 

Some  man  asked  a  question  in  a  daily  paper 
in  Salt  Lake.  In  answering  him  they 
boomed  you  up  to  the  clouds.  They  praised 
your  company  so  much  that  I  thought  I 
would  write  you  for  a  tatalogue. — H.  S., 
Utah. 

FOUR  DOLLARS  AND  A  HALF  A  DOZEN 
FOR  PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  IN  NEW  JERSEY. 
My  squabs  all  average  nine  to  10  pounds  to 
the  dozen.  Am  I  doing  well  to  get  75  cents 
a  pair?— Mrs.  M.  C.  C.,  New  Jersey. 


PLYMOUTH  ROCKS  THE  ONLY  KIND 
WORTH  WHILE.  I  hope  later  on  to  do 
away  with  all  except  what  I  am  purchasing 
of  you  and  get  all  Plymouth  Rocks,  as  I  am 
convinced  they  are  the  only  kind  worth  while. 
I  will  leave  the  selection  entirely  with  you, 
feeling  sure  you  will  send  the  best  you  have. — 
Mrs.  D.  W.  A.,  Georgia. 

SQUABS  IN  ARKANSAS.  The  squab 
business  is  a  new  enterprise  in  this  section. 
If  I  can  work  it  up  I  will  build  another  house 
and  order  more  birds  from  you.  I  have  a 
friend  who  is  thinking  of  buying  a  lot  from 
you.  When  he  sees  mine  I  am  sure  he  will 
decide  at  once.  Thank  you  for  your  prompt- 
ness and  square  dealings. — C.  W.,  Arkansas. 

MANUAL  WORTH  TEN  TIMES  HALF  A 
DOLLAR.  I  received  your  National  "Standard 
Squab  Book  and  find  every  time  I  pick  it  up 
something  new  in  it.  It  is  worth  ten  times 
its  cost.  I  would  not  let  any  one  have  it  for 
what  I  paid  for  it. — P.  J.  L.,  Pennsylvania. 


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16.    AMERICAN  MILLET. 


7.    SIBERIAN  MILLET. 


18.    GOLDEN  MILLET. 


The  above  are  samples  of  millet.    No.  16  is  the  ordinary  American  millet.    No.  17  is  the  Siberian  (red)  millet, 
lo.  18  is  the  golden  (yellow)  millet.    All  of  these  are  good  pigeon  foods. 


FOUR    YEARS'    BREEDING    IN    IOWA. 

I  am  about  to  save  the  pigeon  manure  and 
sell  it  to  a  tannery  at  Milwaukee  that  is 
nearest  to  me.  They  will  buy  it  if  there  is  no 
foreign  matter  in  it.  They  object  to  tobacco 
stems.  Please  tell  me  what  I  could  use  so  as 
to  be  able  to  sell  it. 

If  you  remember,  I  purchased  a  few  pairs 
of  Extras  from  you  over  four  years  ago.  I  am 
shipping  squabs  to  Chicago  and  doing  fairly 
well  considering  the  high  price  of  feed 
here. — J.  C.,  Iowa. 

Answer.     Use  straw. 

OLD  CALIFORNIA  CUSTOMER  HEARD 
FROM  AGAIN.  We  had  100  pairs  of  you 
once,  but  being  obliged  to  move  away  on 
business  sold  them.  We  shall  get  more 
breeders  before  long  and  would  like  to  know 
what  you  have  to  say  in  1908. — P.  B.  M., 
California. 

SIX-FOLD    INCREASE    IN    ONE    YEAR. 

September  21,  1907,  I  received  six  pairs  of 
your  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  I  have 
now  (September,  1908)  75  squabs.  This  is 
a  fair  increase  for  the  old  birds.  My  pigeons 
are  the  finest  lot  in  Kankakee. — J.  W., 
Illinois. 


NO  RACE   SUICIDE  HERE.     We  cannot 
hold  our  pigeons   back.     We  returned   from 


California  four  months  ago  bringing  our  nine 
pairs  with  us  and  we  now  have  52.  I  would 
like  to  have  a  price  list  of  your  birds  again. 
We  are  counting  on  buying  about  100  pairs, 
probably  next  spring."  One  little  hen  you 
sent  is  a  wonder.  She  does  not  know  any- 
thing about  race  suicide.  I  have  a  good  mind 
to  send  her  to  President  Roosevelt. — A.  B.  M., 
Missouri. 

IN  BRITISH  COLUMBIA.  Two  years  ago 
I  sent  for  your  circulars,  but  I  could  not  then 
see  my  way  to  try  the  business,  but  after 
seeing  the  success  a  friend  of  mine  is  making 
of  it  in  Victoria,  I  am  tempted  to  try  it  as 
I  now  have  the  necessary  room  and  leisure. — 
W.  M.  L.,  British  Columbia. 

BOOSTED    IN    SOUTH    DAKOTA.     I    am 

giving  your  birds  a  good  boost  all  around  here 
and  I  think  vou  will  soon  be  receiving  some 
orders. — G.  B.,  South  Dakota. 

HOTEL  TAKES  ALL.  My  birds  are  doing 
fine.  I  am  getting  $3  per  dozen  for  squabs 
and  the  hotel  takes  all  I  can  breed. — W.  C., 
West  Virginia. 


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19.    RICE  UNHULLED. 


20.    RICE. 


BUCKWHEAT. 


No.  19  is  a  sample  of  rice  with  the  brown  hulls  on.  No.  20  shows  the  same  rice  with  the  hulls  taken  off.  This, 
the  unhulled  kind,  is  what  should  be  fed  to  pigeons  as  needed  to  correct  diarrhoea,  or  as  desirable  where  it  is  cheap 
and  plentiful.  Do  not  cook  rice  to  feed  to  pigeons.  You  feed  the  white  raw  grains  same  as  you  do  any  other 
grain,  uncooked.  No.  21  is  buckwheat. 


SOME  PEOPLE  THINK  SQUABS  ARE 
YOUNG  BANTAM  CHICKENS.  My  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Homers  arrived  in  fine  condition 
and  in  three  weeks  were  all  nesting.  I  now 
have  97  birds  with  them  and  their  young. 
The  young  that  hatched  in  February  and 
March  laid  in  August,  so  I  think  I  did  well. 
I  have  not  seen  any  that  could  compare  with 
them.  Others  that  see  them  say  they  are  a 
fine  lot  of  birds.  Each  pair  has  averaged  a 
pair  every  six  weeks,  except  in  the  moulting 
time  when  they  dropped  off  laying  for  a 
while.  The  squabs  that  I  raise  weigh  from 
three-quarters  to  one  pound  before  they  leave 
their  nests. 

Mr.  Haganbothan  saw  my  birds  and  sent 
for  12  pairs  from  you.  They  have  been  doing 
fine  since  he  got  them. 

I  have  fed  principally  cracked  corn  and 
wheat,  buckwheat  and  mixed  feeds,  changing 
from  one  to  another.  I  do  not  think  it  a  good 
plan  to  feed  long  the  same  grains.  In  moult- 
ing time  I  feed  corn,  whole  rice  and  a  few 
peas  and  poultry  powder.  This  is  my  first 
experience  in  trie  pigeon  business.  I  have 
one  of  your  Manuals  and  have  followed  it 
mostly.  For  a  tonic  I  give  them  a  table- 


spoonful  of  vinegar  in  the  water  once  a  week 
and  some  poultry  powder,  which  I  think  is  a 
good  help  to  producing  eggs.  The  birds 
are  not  much  care — only  a  few  minutes  in  the 
morning  and  evening. 

Your  Manual  is  a  great  help  to  those  in  the 
pigeon  business.  If  the  loft  is  kept  clean, 
with  fresh  water  and  change  of  feed  there  will 
be  no  sick  birds  or  lice.  To  keep  lice  out, 
take  slaked  lime  and  wood  ashes  and  sprinkle 
in  loft.  I  have  not  been  bothered  with  them. 
The  cost  of  the  birds  per  pair  is  something 
like  65  cents  per  pair  per  year. 

I  shall  keep  most  of  my  birds  that  I  raise 
this  year  and  by  next  year  will  commence  to 
sell  some  squabs.  They  sell  from  25  cents  to 
40  cents  apiece  and  I  could  sell  them  to  good 
advantage.  Some  people  do  not  know  what 
squabs  are  and  think  they  are  young  Bantam 
chicks. — J.  L.  M.,  Indiana. 

GETTING  ALONG  VERY  WELL  IN 
FLORIDA.  Please  find  enclosed  check  in 
payment  for  200  fibre  nest  bowls.  We  are 
getting  along  very  well  with  the  pigeons. 
We  have  between  300  and  400  young  birds. 
I  think  I  should  build  another  house  and 
fly.— H.  B.  L.,  Florida. 


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22.    GRANITE  GRIT. 


23.    QUARTZ  GRIT. 


24.    SAME  CRUSHED. 


Here  are  samples  of  grits  which  never  should  be  fed  to  pigeons.  No.  22  is  a  coarse  granite  grit.  No.  23  is  a 
finer  granite  or  quartz  grit.  No.  24  is  the  same  material,  either  granite,  quartz  or  mica  crushed  finer.  All  of 
these  poultry  grits  will  do  the  pigeons  more  harm  than  good  and  are  useless  expense.  Ordinary  sand  or  gravel  is 
better. 


HOW  A  LOUISIANA  SQUAB  BREEDER 
BUYS  HIS  GRAIN.  PRICES  FOR  SQUABS 
IN  HIS  STATE  ARE  GOOD.  I  resigned  my 
position  with  the  railroad  company  and  have 
moved  to  my  home  and  vou  will  please 
address  me  here.  I  have  been  very  busy 
getting  in  shape  for  my  birds  and  I  now  have 
them  comfortably  located  in  a  nice  house 
14  by  24.  They  are  getting  to  work  nicely 
and  as  they  are  now  in  their  permanent 
quarters  and  will  not  have  to  be  disturbed 
any  more,  I  expect  soon  to  have  a  large  flock 
of  them.  My  birds  have  been  moved  three 
times  in  the  last  90  days,  but  are  all  in  fine 
condition,  which  shows  they  are  thrifty  and 
will  do  well  under  most  any  kind  of  circum- 
stances. 

I  am  buying  wheat  and  Kaffir  corn  from 
Kansas  City,  Missouri.  I  get  Kaffir  corn  at 
98  cents  per  hundredweight  f.o.b.  Kansas 
City  and  wheat  at  $1  per  bushel.  The  freight 
rate  here  is  about  70  cents,  so  Kaffir  corn  does 
not  cost  me  much  more  than  corn  chops. 
I  pay  $1 .50  per  sack  for  chops  delivered  here. 

Every  one  who  sees  my  Homers  says  they 
are  the  finest  they  ever  saw.  I  have  orders 
now  for  about  50  pairs  at  $1  per  pair  at 
weanling  age. 

Quotations   for  squabs   this   week   in   my 


markets  are  $4  a  dozen.  (This  price  is  offered 
by  commission  men.)  The  hotels  and  cafes 
will  pay  from  $1  to  $1.50  more. — G.  W.  T., 
Louisiana. 

FIRST  EXPERIMENT,  THEN  THE  REAL 
THING.  The  first  lot  that  I  bought  from 
you  was  an  experiment,  a  success.  I  will 
enlarge  this  spring  if  not  sooner. — J.  F.  C., 
Wiscousin. 

EIGHT  DAYS  OLD,  WEIGHT  HALF  A 
POUND.  I  had  a  squab  that  weighed  one- 
half  a  pound  when  it  was  eight  days  old  from 
the  Homers  I  got  from  you  a  few  weeks  ago. 
How  is  that?— R.  B.  W.,  Ohio. 

PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  THE 
BEST  IN  THIS  NEW  JERSEY  TOWN.  Mine 
are  fine  birds,  the  best  in  the  town,  there  are 
none  like  them. — L.  K.,  New  Jersey. 

TEXAS  WOMAN'S  WORK.  Something 
more  than  a  year  ago  I  purchased  six  pairs  of 

Eigeons  from  you.  I  have  quite  a  flock  now, 
aving  been  successful. — Mrs.  R.  E.  B.,  Texas. 

RAPID  PROGRESS  IN  ELEVEN  WEEKS. 
I  bought  12  pairs  of  No.  1  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers  and  received  them  April  11.  I  now 
(July  6)  have  33  young  ones. — E.  L.  P.,  Iowa. 


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25.    HEALTH  GRIT.  26.    COARSE  OYSTER  SHELL.          27.    PIGEON  OYSTER  SHELL 

No.  25  is  another_view  of  our  Health  Grit  same  as  the  larger  picture  on  page  286.  No.  26  is  a  sample  of  large 
oyster  shell  such  as  is  sold  for  poultry.  It  is  too  large  for  pigeons.  The  correct  size  for  pigeons  is  shown  in  sample 
No.  27. 

BEING  DEAF,  SHE  WAS  HANDICAPPED  IN  BUSINESS,  BUT  SQUAB  RAISING  SOLVED 
THE  PROBLEM.  My  birds  bought  of  you  several  years  ago  are  doing  splendidly  and  paying 
me  amply  for  the  care  and  cost  given  them.  I  have  found  your  National  Squab  Book  of  the 
greatest  practical  value.  I  like  the  business  better  than  anything  I  ever  tried.  Being  deaf, 
I  found  it  especially  hard  to  get  hold  of  a  business  I  could  manage  myself,  but  in  squabraising 
one  is  not  thrown  so  much  in  contact  with  the  world  and  one  is  able  to  feel  independent.  I 
began  last  fall  and  had  several  months  of  discouragement  at  first,  failing  to  find  a  satisfactory 
market.  As  there  is  a  good  demand  for  good  birds  at  all  times  I  succeeded  in  making  a  per- 
manent arrangement  with  a  summer  resort,  they  agreeing  to  take  all  I  could  send  at  $4  per 
dozen,  and  pay  express  charges,  too.  My  birds  generally  weigh  10  pounds  to  the  dozen  and  are 
fine-looking  birds.  At  four  weeks  they-are  hard  to  tell  from  the  parents. 

I  have  only  50  or  60  birds  but  have  just  sent  off  24  squabs,  have  36  in  the  house  and  about 
two  dozen  eggs.  I  think  that  is  doing  a  very  brisk  business  for  so  small  a  flock.  I  have  gone 
in  regard  to  feed  almost  exactly  by  your  Manual,  indeed  I  have  followed  it  in  every  respect 
and  could  not  have  managed  without  it.  I  have  had  no  sickness  except  once,  when  I  left  the 
birds  in  charge  of  some  one  who  did  not  treat  them  properly,  and  once  when  I  was  without  grit 
for  several  weeks.  Both  times  they  had  diarrhoea  and  were  all  fearfully  thin,  what  you  call 
"  going  light,"  I  believe.  Occasionally  the  parents  desert  the  squabs  before  they  are  big 
enough  to  kill  and  begin  on  a  new  family;  but  these  cases  have  been  rare. — Miss  B.  R.,  Virginia. 

PRACTICAL  NEW  YORK  MARKET  MEN  SUCCESSFUL  WITH  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUABS. 

In  looking  over  your  new  Manual  (1908)  I  noticed  a  letter  from  a  firm  that  does  business  in 
front  of  our  store.  It  is  "  Heineman  &  Co."  I  am  personally  acquainted  with  them  and  told 
them  I  had  bought  pigeons  from  you.  William  Heineman  wished  me  to  mention  his  name  to 
you  when  I  wrote  again,  so  I  have  taken  this  opportunity  to  do  so.  I  feel  amply  repaid  for 
having  bought  my  birds  of  you  and  I  will  place  my  future  orders  for  stock  with  you.  Just 
as  soon  as  I  am  able  to  branch  out  more  I  shall  send  for  more  birds.  Thank  you  for  your 
great  kindness  and  clean  business  dealings  with  me  and  wish  you  still  further  success  in  your 
business.— R.  L.,  New  York. 

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28.    MIXED  GRAIN. 


29.    MIXED  GRAIN. 


MIXED  GRAIN. 


The  above  are  samples  of  mixed  pigeon  grain.  No.  28  is  a  good  mixture.  No  30  contains  good  grains  but  also 
b»s  oyster  shells  and  grit  in  it.  No.  29  contains  an  even  larger  proportion  of  granite  grit  and  oyster  shells  and 
the  grains  are  poorer.  The  reason  why  some  grain  dealers  put  oyster  shells  and  grit  into  their  mixtures  is  that 
these  two  substances  cost  them  less  than  half  of  what  grain  costs,  and  by  selling  the  mixture  at  the  price  of 
good  grain,  they  sell  grit  and  oyster  shells  at  the  price  of  grain.  If  the  breeder  wishes  to  mix  grit  and  oyster  shells 
with  his  grain,  it  is  much  cheaper  for  him  to  buy  them  separately  and  do  his  own  mixing. 


SELLS  SQUABS  FOR  THREE  DOLLARS  A  DOZEN  TO  A  MAN  WHO  CALLS  AND  TAKES 
THEM  ALIVE  OUT  OF  THE  NESTS.  Since  February  each  pair  of  my  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 
has  thrown  five  pairs  of  squabs,  all  weighing  10  and  11  pounds  to  the  dozen.  Am  a  great 
believer  in  feed,  i.e.,  quality  and  variety,  and  feed  each  morning  equal  quantities  of  cracked 
corn,  red  wheat,  and  Kaffir  corn.  In  the  afternoon  I  substitute  Canada  peas  three  times  a 
week  and  hemp  seed  twice  for  red  wheat,  and  this  mixture  has  kept  my  birds  in  good  working 
trim. 

The  self-feeder  which  I  made  according  to  your  instructions  was  somewhat  of  a  failure  in 
my  case.  The  birds  managed  to  scatter  an  enormous  amount  of  feed  on  the  floor,  causing  a 
great  waste,  which  I  have  obviated  by  the  use  of  troughs.  I  feed  twice  a  day  and  have  by 
observation  got  the  quantity  needed  to  satisfy  them  down  very  fine.  Very  little  grain  is  tossed 
out  of  the  troughs,  which  are  six  feet  long  by  12  inches  wide  with  one  and  one-half  inch  rims. 
Was  very  careful  to  see  if  there  was  any  falling  off  in  the  weight  of  squabs  when  I  made  the 
change  from  self-feeder  to  trough,  but  none  was  noticeable.  Have  followed  your  instructions 
otherwise  and  must  say  they  have  worked  out  beautifully.  Your  Manual  has  proven  a  veritable 
storehouse  of  practical  information  and  advice.  Some  time  ago  I  bought  some  birds  from 
a  friend  which  he  purchased  from  -  and  must  admit  that  the  squabs  from  your  birds  are 
whiter  meat.  From  present  indications,  I  am  going  to  get  at  least  one  pair  of  squabs  more  per 

fair  of  breeders  from  your  birds  than  from  my  other  stock.     Hereafter  it's  your  stock  for  me. 
keep  a  card  file  system  which  enables  me  to  tell  in  a  moment  just  what  every  pair  in  my 
lofts  is  doing.     The  squabs  raised  from  your  stock  are  all  throwing  healthy  offsprings  at   four 
and  a  half  months  of  age,  which  I  think  is  very  young  for  birds  to  go  to  work. 

I  am  selling  my  squabs  now  to  a  party  who  takes  them  out  of  the  nest,  saving  me  the  killing 
and  dressing,  and  pays  me  S3  a  dozen  for  them.  In  the  fall  and  winter  I  will  get  from  $4  to 
$5.50  a  dozen  for  them,  and  all  the  market  I  can  supply.  —  A.  D.,  New  Jersey. 

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FIRST-CLASS  MARKET  FOR  GOOD  SQUABS  AND  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  IN  IOWA. 

I  received  six  pairs  from  you  two  years  ago  and  started  to  raise  a  flock  from  them.  I  purchased 
your  Manual  and  followed  it  in  every  detail  as  far  as  possible  and  will  state  I  have  had  fine 
luck.  My  flock  now  consists  of  50  good  mated  pairs  and  they  are  working  very  well.  I  have 


sold  some  squabs  and  a  few  older  birds.  I  receive  $2  per  pair  for  old  and  75  cents  per  pair  for 
squabs.  I  can  safely  say  I  have  made  a  good  profit  on  my  purchase,  as  I  paid  $10  for  six  pairs 
of  your  birds  direct  from  you.  My  order  was  sent  in  with  Mr.  J.  Haas's  as  three  of  us  took  six 


. 

pairs  each.  Two  of  us  are  still  in  the  business,  but  he  was  compelled  to  sell  out  on  account  of 
moving  away.  I  think  that  the  squab  business  is  one  of  the  best.  If  one  follows  the  instructions 
of  your  Manual  he  will  succeed  far  ahead  of  anticipations.  I  am  well  pleased  with  my  success, 
and  now  I  am  enjoying  the  benefit  of  my  old  birds,  as  I  have  squabs  most  of  the  time  for  my 
own  table  use  and  sell  to  customers  here  in  the  city.  In  the  spring  I  will  increase  my  flock. 

As  far  as  sickness  is  concerned,  will  say  that  I  have  not  had  any.  My  flock  is  in  the  best  of 
health  and  haj  no  vermin.  Others  will  fare  the  same  as  I  have  if  they  will  follow  the  instruc- 
tions of  your  Manual  in  regard  to  care  and  feeding  birds,  also  in  keeping  fresh  water  in  pens. 
I  have  a  hydrant  in  my  yards  and  turn  it  on  so  as  to  keep  a  flowing  stream  at  all  times  so  I 
do  not  have  any  trouble  in  this  way  at  all.  <  have  my  birds  all  marked  so  that  if  any  one  of 
them  should  happen  to  be  killed  or  die  I  can  pick  out  the  mate  and  pair  it  off  with  another. 
This  is  also  a  very  profitable  plan  so  as  to  keep  all  workers  in  one  pen.  I  have  had  no  trouble 
in  selling  my  squabs  as  the  market  is  always  open  for  Homers.  There  is  a  vast  difference 
between  the  common  pigeons  and  your  Plymouth  Rocks.  *  There  is  a  man  here  who  raises  the 
common  pigeons  which  he  sells  for  $1.75  per  dozen,  but  there  is  no  comparison  between  trie 
two,  as  the  Homers  from  your  farm  are  so  far  ahead,  and  the  consumers  of  the  squabs  say  they 
would  rather  pay  more  and  get  good  birds.  We  feel  that  there  will  be  no  opposition  from  him 
in  the  squab  business  as  our  price  has  not  been  kicked  on  yet,  nor  do  I  think  it  will  be.  I 
will  send  you  a  small  order  for  some  more  birds  in  the  spring  as  I  want  to  increase  my  flock  from 
your  birds.  I  a-?ain  thank  you  for  past  favors  and  will  do  as  much  as  I  can  to  push  the  squab 
business  and  to  hold  up  prices.  If  you  have  an  opportunity  to  refer  any  of  your  customers  to 
me,  you  can  feel  assured  I  will  say  your  firm  is  square  and  will  do  as  you  say.  I  would  be 
pleased  at  any  time  to  help  you.  I  will  do  you  some  good  here  as  our  stock  of  old  birds  is 
not  for  sale.  Our  squabs  are  all  ordered  ahead  of  time,  so  let  me  know,  as  there  is  a  fine  big 
market  here  for  your  Homers  and  your  birds  will  meet  with  the  approval  of  any  and  all.  — 
W.  G.  S.,  Iowa. 

SPLENDID  FIELD  IN  COLORADO.  ONE  HOTEL  TAKING  MORE  THAN  THIS  LARGE 
PLANT  CAN  SUPPLY.  The  writer  would  like  to  know  the  names  of  one  or  two  good  poultry 
journals  in  which  we  can  place  an  advertisement  for  partner  in  increase  plant,  which  is  at 
present  2000;  1200  of  these  birds  are  from  your  plant.  Would  like  to  procure  500  pairs  from 
you  to  infuse  new  blood  into  our  flock.  Perhaps  you  might  know  of  one  who  has  some  experi- 
ence in  this  line  who  would  like  to  come  to  Colorado  or  Denver.  There  is  a  splendid  field  here 
for  the  business.  We  have  but  one  customer,  a  hotel,  which  we  attempt  to  supply.  This  hotel 
consumes  20  to  30  dozen  a  week.  They  pay  us  $3.60  a  dozen  dressed.  Denver  has  many 
hotels  and  restaurants  besides  a  great  demand  from  the  dining-car  service  from  here  to  the  coast. 
I  have  been  in  this  business  14  months.  I  sent  for  your  squab  book  four  years  ago  and  have 
gradually  been  drifting  into  the  business.  My  wife  looks  after  every  detail  of  the  plant  while 
I  have  been  working  at  the  tin  trade,  which  I  soon  hope  to  abandon  and  take  up  the  squab 
business  exclusively.  We  have  solved  the  problem  of  keeping  down  the  mites  and  have  little 
or  no  disease  among  the  birds.  I  hope  in  the  next  two  years  to  have  a  squab  plant  worthy  of 
the  name.  Any  advice  you  can  give  to  help  the  cause  will  be  appreciated.  If  possible,  would 
like  to  have  the  name  of  some  party  who  would  come  West  to  engage  in  the  business,  with 
whom  we  might  correspond.  —  H.  J.  D.,  Colorado. 

CHICKEN  RAISER  OF  FIVE  YEARS'  EXPERIENCE  IS  PLEASED  WITH  HIS  SQUAB 
WORK.  The  last  lot  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  came  in  fine  shape.  Some  of  them 
started  to  work  at  once.  Five  pairs  have  eggs  and  are  setting  on  them,  and  six  pairs  now  have 
nests.  The  first  25  pairs  I  received  from  you,  June  12,  1908.  I  will  take  a  snapshot  of  my 
place  when  I  get  my  big  squab  house  up.  It  is  going  to  be  a  dandy  for  300  pairs.  You  will  get 
the  order  from  me  for  the  Extras.  I  think  they  are  grand  birds,  and  the  squabs  are  so  large 
they  are  bigger  than  chickens.  I  feed  good  grain  and  hemp  seed  and  some  rice.  I  clean  my 
house  once  a  week  and  sprinkle  lice  killer  in  the  nest  boxes. 

I  have  raised  chickens  for  five  years  but  squabs  have  got  them  down  and  out  as  far  as  I  have 
seen.  There  are  other  little  jobs  of  work  you  could  do  on  the  place  with  squabs,  whereas  if 
you  have  600  chickens  you  have  to  attend  to  them  from  daylight  to  dark,  and  then  some. 

I  must  say  one  word  for  your  squab  book,  I  think  it  is  just  grand.  I  would  not  take  $10 
for  it,  and  not  have  one,  and  I  don't  see  how  any  one  could  get  along  without  it,  even  if  he 
was  an  old-timer  at  the  squab  business.  —  J.  B.  B.,  Missouri. 

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MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


A  SOUTH  CAROLINA  PLANT. 
What  this  breeder  has  accomplished  here  he  tells  in  the  letter  printed  on  this  page. 

GOING  TO  MAKE  IT  A  REGULAR  BUSINESS.  NESTING  MATERIAL  IN  THE  MANURE. 
A  little  over  a  year  ago  I  bought  12  pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  from  you.  Now 
I  have  over  100  birds  in  my  houses  and  have  started  to  sell  some  squabs.  I  am  more  than 
pleased  with  my  birds,  they  are  doing  fine.  After  a  while  I  expect  I  will  have  to  get  a  few  more 
from  you  so  as  to  mix  in  some  new  blood. 

My  birds  have  averaged  nine  pairs  of  squabs  to  the  pair  for  the  year.  I  find  the  squabs  at  the 
killing  age  weighing  from  13  to  15  ounces  per  bird,  and  for  what  birds  I  have  sold,  which  has 
been  only  a  few,  I  have  received  $3  per  dozen.  I  have  been  holding  most  of  my  birds  for  stock, 
as  it  was  my  intention  at  the  beginning  to  raise  a  stock  before  entering  the  market.  I  am 
feeding  a  scratch  feed  with  a  little  hempseed  about  once  a  week.  My  birds  have  been  perfectly 
healthy.  Out  of  the  original  12  pairs  I  have  lost  only  four  birds.  It  costs  at  an  average  of 
five  cents  a  month  per  bird  and  I  have  in  my  houses  130  birds;  which  I  consider  a  very  good 
increase.  I  am  more  than  pleased  with  the  birds,  and  intend  to  go  into  it  on  a  business  basis, 
making  it  a  regular  business,  and  I  do  not  see  why  it  should  not  be  a  success. 

My  houses  are  of  the  plainest  kind,  costing  about  $125.     They  will  accommodate  300  birds. 

I  have  one  pair  of  birds  that  I  have  raised,  which  lay  four  eggs  to  the  setting.  This  is  the 
first  incident  of  its  kind  that  I  have  ever  heard  of.  They  will  set  on  these  four  eggs  for  about 
10  days,  and  then  throw  the  eggs  out,  one  by  one,  in  consequence  of  which  I  lose  the  setting. 
These' birds  have  done  this  thing  on  three  occasions.  Two  of  the  eggs  would  be  fertile  and  two 
infertile  I  at  first  thought  that  perhaps  some  other  pair  had  laid  in  the  nest  with  these,  but 
after  watching  carefully  I  found  that  the  eggs  came  from  the  one  pair  of  birds. 

The  manure  from  the  birds  is  amounting  to  something  and  I  would  like  to  get  the  address 
of  some  good  party  who  will  take  it  off  my  hands  so  that  I  could  communicate  with  them. 
Would  you  kindly  advise  how  to  get  rid  of  the  nesting  material  or  do  you  let  it  go  in  with  the 
manure"? — T.  L.  O.,  South  Carolina. 

Answer.  Straw  and  feathers  caked  in  with  the  manure  are  acceptable  to  the  tanners. 
They  do  not  like  to  get  manure  in  which  is  a  large  amount  of  discarded  tobacco  stems,  as  these 
stain  the  hides. 

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MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


NOTE  HOW  THIS  BREEDER  BUILDS  HIS  SELF-FEEDERS.  On  December  20,  1907,  six 
pairs  of  No.  1  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  were  shipped  to  me.  I  lost  some  squabs  caused  by  the 
old  ones  eating  green  sprouts  and  from  cats,  but  as  soon  as  I  made  the  floor  tight  and  mended 
the  wire  on  the  flying  pen  I  had  no  more  trouble.  Now  (September,  1908)  I  have  42  old  and 
young,  with  those  I  raised  mating  up  and  starting  to  build  their  nests  and  lay.  My  birds  are 
all  in  rugged  health  and  are  doing  well,  breeding  fat,  plump  squabs.  I  have  compared  them 
with  other  breeders,  but  mine  are  far  better. 

I  give  them  plenty  of  fresh  water  for  bathing  and  drinking  and  scald  out  the  pans  and  drink- 
ing fountains  with  hot  water  once  a  week.  I  save  the  manure,  as  it  has  a  ready  sale  and  helps 
to  pay  the  feed  bill.  I  clean  the  nest  bowls  and  floor  once  a  week,  sprinkle  slaked  lime  over  the 
floor,  sprinkle  a  little  insect  powder  on  the  squabs,  and  vermin  does  not  bother  them.  I 
feed  cracked  earn  and  wheat,  one-third  wheat  to  two- thirds  corn  for  winter,  and  for 
summer  one-third  corn  to  two-thirds  wheat.  In  addition,  I  feed  rice,  barley,  millet, 
sunflower  seeds,  Kaffir  corn  and  Canada  peas  with  a  little  hemp  seed  as  dainties.  I  put  a  small 
trough  below  the  holes  of  the  self-feeder  on  each  side.  In  this  way,  the  grain  which  falls  out  is 
caught  by  the  trough  and  there  is  little  waste.  I  also  have  a  protected  box  divided  in  halves. 
In  one  side  I  put  health  grit,  in  the  other  oyster  shells.  All  the  C9vers  for  my  self-feeders  are 
three  inches  wider  than  the  feeders.  This  prevents  soiling  the  grain,  as  pigeons  are  very  par- 
ticular about  clean  grain. 

My  squabs  weigh  eight  pounds  to  the  dozen.  My  birds  have  bred  at  the  rate  of  from  seven  t:> 
nine  pairs  a  year  and  one  pair  has  bred  ten  pairs  per  year.  The  cost  of  feeding  averages  five 
cents  per  pah-  per  month. 

I  think  well  of  the  squab  business  and  expect  before  long  to  buy  more  as  it  is  a  profitable 
business,  considering  the  small  capital  invested.  I  use  egg  crates  and  orange  boxes 'as  I  have 
found  them  best  and  cheapest.  The  unit  system  is  best  as  it  is  easier  to  keep  track  of  several 
small  flocks  rather  than  one  large  one. 

A  person  breeding  pigeons  must  study  and  learn  their  birds  to  make  a  success  of  it. 

I  have  read  and  re-read  your  squab  book  and  think  for  clearness  of  description,  plain  explana- 
tions, and  good  clear  illustrations  it  is  the  best  live-stock  book  I  have  ever  seen.  When  in  doubt 
consult  the  Manual — J.  Y.  E.,  West  Virginia. 

FLOCK  INCREASED  FROM  SIXTY  TO  THREE  HUNDRED  AND  SIXTY  IN  EIGHT  MONTHS. 

I  got  my  flock  of  30  pairs  of  Extras  into  their  permanent  quarters  in  February.  I  now  (October 
5,  1908)  have  about  360  head  of  the  finest  young  birds  you  ever  saw.  I  have  just  put  my  flock 
through  the  moult  and  they  have  begun  to  work  now  in  good  shape.  I  have  squabs  now  in  my 
house  that  were  raised  by  my  young  birds  (the  ones  which  I  raised  myself)  and  their  second  pair 
of  squabs  weighed  over  one  pound  each  at  four  weeks  of  age.  Is  not  that  good  work  for  the  sec- 
ond pair  that  young  birds  raise  ?  What  do  you  think  of  my  increase  in  stock  from  60  head  to  360 
head  in  eight  months;  is  that  good  work  r--  not  ? 

I  can  get  orders  for  all  squabs  I  can  raise  at  $3  per  dozen  f.o.b.  cars  here,  but  I  have  sold 
only  one  dozen  and  I  got  $4.50  for  them.  1  do  not  care  to  sell  any  until  I  get  a  big  flock  of 
breeders. 

I  am  making  some  arrangements  now  to  build  squab  houses  and  I  want  to  get  about  150  or 
200  pairs  of  breeders  from  you  in  the  spring;  as  I  want  to  get  into  shape  to  fill  orders.  I  had 
an  order  the  first  of  this  month  for  ten  dozen  per  week  at  $3  per  dozen.  This  would  have  been 
a  standing  order  for  all  winter  if  I  could  have  handled  it.  I  have  one  pair  of  young  birds  that 
laid  four  eggs,  hatched  and  raised  all  of  them.  Has  that  ever  happened  in  your  flock?  Write 
me  what  you  think  of  my  success  and  advise  what  price  you  will  make  me  on  an  order  for  100 
pairs  of  Extras. — G.  W.  T.,  Louisiana. 

FAMILY  TRADE  BRINGS  HIM  AS  HIGH  AS  EIGHT  DOLLARS  A  DOZEN  FOR  PLYMOUTH 
ROCK  SQUABS.  Enclosed  you  will  find  check  and  order  for  pigeons  and  supplies  for  $116.29. 
Please  ship  sundries  by  freight  at  once  and  the  pigeons  on  July  23.  The  birds  I  got  of  you  in 
February,  1908,  are  doing  finely.  Have  raised  three  and  four  pairs  each,  squabs  weighing  at 
25  days  from  14  to  19  ounces  alive.  I  have  several  pairs  more,  all  raised  from  your  Extras,  so 
I  have  about  155  birds  altogether  now.  I  am  clearing  out  the  chicken  pens  and  filling  them 
with  pigeons,  as  I  am  fully  convinced  they  are  a  much  better  paying  proposition  than  the 
chickens. 

Several  other  firms  have  written  me  for  orders,  but  as  you  took  such  pains  with  my  little 
drib,  and  the  birds  have  done  so  well,  you  people  get  the  rest  of  the  orders.  I  have  the  largest 
birds  in  the  city,  and  they  attract  much  attention  from  the  hundreds  of  visitors  at  my  poultn- 
yards. 

The  Manual  is  a  gem.  It  is  plain  enough  for  any  one  and  I  really  think  I  have  it  memorized. 
Have  several  other  works  on  pigeons,  but  have  laid  them  away.  They  are  not  in  the  same  class! 

The  market  is  good  here,  my  birds  bringing  from  $4.50  to  $8.00  a  dozen,  all  family  orders. 
I  have  worked  them  right  into  my  chicken  and  egg  customers.  Could  sell  50  pairs  a  day  if  I 
had  them. — J.  A.,  Pennsylvania. 

LETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

299 


EXPERIENCE  OF  PROMINENT  WASHINGTON  PUBLIC  MAN 
BREEDING  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS 

I  wish  you  would  send  me  an  outfit  of  your  Extra 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  mated  and  banded.   I  want 
to  see  how  they  will  turn  out.   I  have  already 
quite  a  large  lot  of  pigeons  but  they  are  doing 
so  poorly  that  I  do  not  expect  to  keep  them.   I 
expect  better  results  from  the  ones  which  I  order. 

The  letters  from  customers  printed  in  this  book  are  evidence  of  the  wide- 
spread interest  on  the  American  continent  in  squab  breeding  not  only  for 
revenue  and  for  one's  table,  but  also  as  a  pastime  and  instructive  hobby. 
It  will  not  be  forgotten  that  the  master  mind  of  Charles  Darwin  evolved 
"The  Origin  of  Species"  from  pigeon  breeding.  The  ideas  he  conceived  and 
the  laws  he  discovered  might  have  been  worked  out  with  other  animals,  but 
not  within  the  span  of  his  lifetime,  with  the  thoroughness  he  accomplished, 
because  pigeons  breed  rapidly,  and  in  other  respects  are  ideal  for  experiment. 

Prominent  in  political  life  at  Washington  are  customers  who  give  part  of 
their  spare  time  enthusiastically  to  this  work.  One  of  these  ordered  of  us 
in  January,  1908,  as  indicated  by  the  letter  printed  at  the  top  of  this  page. 
The  next  letter  was  as  'follows : 

I  am  greatly  pleased  with  the  birds  sent  me,  and 
they  seem  to  be  all  that  you  have  said  in  regard 
to  them. 

We  wrote  him  in  December,  1908,  to  interest  him  in  our  Carneaux,  and 
received  the  following  letter: 

I  have  your  letter  of  some  days  ago  in  regard  to 
the  Homers  you  sent  me.   They  were  very  fine,  and 
I  was  well  pleased  with  them.   One  disaster  after 
another  has  followed  these  birds  until  now  I  have 
none  left.   First,  an  owl  got  in  among  them  and 
pulled  heads  off,  which  was  followed  by  some  other 
misfortune.   I  shall  never  experiment  here  again 
with  them,  but  when  I  retire  from  the  field  of  my 
labors  and  go  back  home,  I  certainly  intend  to 
keep  pigeons.   I  thank  you  very  much  for  calling 
my  attention  to  your  new  Plymouth  Rock  Carneaux. 

We  are  not  at  liberty  to  print  the  writer's  name.  We  call  attention  to 
this  to  point  the  moral  that  serious-minded  men  of  large  affairs  turn  to 
squab  raising  with  lively  and  sustained  interest.  (Incidentally,  another 
moral  is.  Beware  of  owls  !) 

300 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


WON  THE  PRIZES  IN 
TEXAS.  My  pigeons  took 
first,  second  and  third 
prizes  and  I  credit  it  much 
to  your  good  stock  that 
helped  me. — I.  R.,  Texas. 

IMITATION  GRITS  A 
FAILURE.  Enclosed  find 
money  order  for  which 
please  send  me  100  pounds 
of  your  health  grit  and  100 
pounds  of  oyster  shells, 
pigeon  size.  I  have  tried 
other  health  grits  that  are 
sold  nearer  mv  city  but 
find  my  birds  will  not  touch 
them.— H  E.  M.,  New 
York. 

READY  MARKET  IN 
MONTANA.  I  have  about 
90  young  and  have  sold 
about  125  squabs.  I  can 
get  $3.00  a  dozen  plucked 
and  no  trouble  about  selling 
them.  I  have  paid  as  high 
as  $2  per  hundredweight 
for  wheat  but  am  now 
getting  wheat  at  $1.15 
per  hundredweight ;  corn 
$1.90.— L.  E.  Y.,  Montana. 


ORDINARY  QUARTERS. 
The  Pennsylvania  customer  whose  letter  is  printed  on  this  page  is  doing  well  here. 

SEVEN  PAIRS  QUICKLY  AT  WORK.  ORDERING  EVERY  MONTH.  The  seven  pairs  of 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  arrived  on  April  24  in  first-class  order.  Five  nests  are  finished  (May  7), 
one  has  two  eggs  and  there  are  two  other  nests  in  the  course  of  construction,  which  speaks 
mighty  well  for  your  stock,  I  think.  I  expect  to  send  you  an  order  the  latter  part  of  this  month 
and  intend  buying  every  month.  In  that  way  I  will  not  feel  the  investment  so  much. 

One  could  not  ask  for  better  stock  than  you  sent  me.  I  am  well  pleased  and  shall  be  glad 
to  boost  your  stock  among  my  friends.  My  neighbor  is  more  than  ever  chagrined  at  the  job 
lot  that  was  shipped  him  from  the  southern  part  of  the  State  and  will  undoubtedly  send  you 
an  order  before  long.  Thank  you  for  the  pains  you  must  have  taken  in  selecting  my  birds. 

(Later.  August,  1908.)  I  write  you  to  give  you  the  address  of  a  gentleman  who  is  going 
into  the  squab  business.  You  can  use  my  name  or  not,  just  as  you  desire,  but  one  thing  you 
can  use  to  him  is  my  recommendation.  When  I  return  from  my  vacation ,  September  1 ,  I  intend 
placing  another  order  for  10  pairs  more  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rocks.  My  birds  have  done  fine 
and  as  long  as  I  get  such  birds  from  you,  you  can  expect  my  order  and  all  others  I  can  throw 
way.  There  is  all  sorts  of  rivalry  here  on  account  of  the  show  in  January. — J.  B., 
insylvania. 


your 
Penr 


YEAR'S  TRIAL  SATISFACTORY,  AND 
GOING  AHEAD.  I  thought  you  might  be 
interested  to  know  that  the  birds  we  pur- 
chased of  you  last  January  have  turned  out 
finely,  we  having  lost  but  two,  and  this  on 
account  of  flying  against  the  wire,  breaking 
their  necks.  We  decided  to  give  the  birds 
a  thorough  trial  for  a  year,  being  novices 


at  the  business,  and  I  am  sure  as  soon  as  the 
year  is  up,  we  will  place  another  order  with 
you,  as  your  birds  have  been  greatly  admind 
by  other  raisers  here,  and  they  have  done  What 
you  said  they  would.  We  have  had  no  trouble 
in  selling  the  squabs,  which  have  ranged  from 
ten  to  thirteen  ounces  each,  receiving  in  nearly 
every  case  from  50  cents  to  75  cents  per  pair. — 
C.  W.  C.,  Pennsylvania. 


LETTERS   FROM    CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

301 


MORE  STORIES  OF  SUCCESS 


TEXAS  WOMAN  DELIGHTED  WITH  HER 
PROJECT.  I  am  enclosing  an  order  for 
some  Homers  intended  for  a  Christmas  pres- 
ent to  my  young  nephew,  and  wish  you  to 
ship  the  birds  so  as  to  arrive  about  the  24th. 
In  March  last  I  bought  of  you  six  pairs  of 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  My  flock  now 
(December)  numbers  25  pairs,  the  first  birds 
hatching  the  16th  of  April,  and  I  have  seven 
hens  due  to  hatch  on  the  17th  of  this  month. 
I  think  my  success  has  been  creditable  and  to 
me  very  satisfactory.  I  have  lost  less  than 
half  a  dozen  young  ones,  and  believe  the  loss 
of  these  was  due  to  a  lack  of  rock  salt  in  the 
fly.  My  aim  is  to  increase  the  flock  to  100 
before  beginning  to  market  the  squabs. 
Squabs  sell  in  our  market  for  25  cents  each 
and  are  scarce  and  in  demand.  My  pen 
consists  of  a  house  8x8  feet  in  which  the  birds 
roost,  lay  and  hatch.  Connected  with  the 
house  I  have  a  fly  eight  feet  wide,  20  feet  long 
and  eight  feet  high;  with  which  accommoda- 
tion the  birds  seem  perfectly  contented. 
Many  of  them  seem  to  know  me  and  are  not 
afraid  when  I  go  among  them.  I  feed  twice 
a  day,  about  8  a.m  and  3  p.m.,  giving  them 
what  they  will  eat  of  whole  and  cracked  corn, 
wheat,  millet  and  Kaffir  corn,  when  pro- 
curable. Occasionally  I  throw  in  bits  of 
cabbage  leaves  which  they  seem  to  relish 
very  much.  I  have  your  Manual  and  have 
followed  instructions  as  nearly  as  circum- 
stances would  permit,  and  with  it  as  a  guide 
and  reasonable  attention,  do  not  see  how 
any  one  could  fail  to  succeed  .in  a  pleasant 
and  pleasing  pursuit.  I  believe  it  also 
profitable,  even  in  my  small  way.  I  bought 
your  fibre  nest  bowls  and  have  them  screwed 
to  pieces  that  slip  into  the  egg  crates  that  you 
mentioned  in  your  Manual.  This  makes 
cleaning  the  bowls  and  boxes  a  very  easy 
matter.  I  intend  in  the  near  future  to  build 
another  pen,  divide  my  flock  and  test  the 

Question  of  "  pigeons  for  profit."  Thus  far 
am  delighted  with  the  project,  but  love  for 
my  birds  may  interfere  with  selling  squabs 
for  slaughter.  My  squabs  weigh  on  an 
average  of  three-quarters  of  a  pound,  live 
weight,  at  about  three  weeks  of  age.  I  have 
had  neither  sickness  nor  lice,  and  on  the  whole 
am  most  highly  pleased  with  my  birds. —  < 
Mrs.  R.  E.  B.,  Texas. 

USES  A  WATER  FOUNTAIN  WHICH  HE 
MADE  FROM  A  BOTTLE.  In  February  (1908) 
I  became  interested  in  Homers  and  thinking 
they  would  give  better  results  than  common 
pigeons,  I  sold  my  flock  of  common  birds 
and  sent  you  an  order  for  three  pairs  of 
Plymouth  Rock  Extra  Homers.  Three  days 
later  I  received  them.  Some  friends  of  mine 
had  Homer  pigeons  which  they  considered 
excellent  birds,  but  they  could  not  beat  mine. 
My  friends  have  been  anxious  to  get  some 
of  my  Homers,  but  I  intend  to  keep  all  I 
raise  until  I  have  quite  a  flock. 


Up  to  date  (October)  one  pair  has  raised 
six  pairs  of  squabs  since  I  received  them. 
The  other  two  pairs  have  done  nearly  as  well. 
The  common  pigeons  I  had  generally  stopped 
breeding  during  the  moulting  season,  but  your 
Homers  kept  right  on. 

I  feed  what  is  called  here  "  scratch  feed," 
composed  of  buckwheat,  peas,  Kaffir  corn, 
sunflower  seed,  cracked  corn,  wheat  and 
several  other  grains.  I  also  give  a  tonic  every 
Sunday  with  a  little  hemp  seed.  I  use  a 
feeder  which  I  made,  as  shown  in  your 
Manual,  and  a  water  fountain  which  I  made 
from  a  bottle.  I  have  followed  your  Manual 


HOME  MADE. 

For  this  little  plant  the  breeder  has  utilized  what 
he  had;  expending  hardly  a  dollar.  He  has  done  very 
well  in  these  rough  and  ready  quarters,  however,  as  his 
letter  here  printed  shows.  (See  letter  of  M.  J.  H., 
New  York.) 

in  caring  for  my  birds  and  think  it  is  an  excel- 
lent  book.  Sometime  in  the  future  I  intend 
to  give  you  another  order. 

I  send  by  this  mail  a  picture  of  my  place 
and  birds.  The  small  pen  is  where  I  keep  my 
young  stock  until  they  mate.  The  one  with 
the  Homer  in  the  window  is  where  my  working 
birds  are  kept.— M.  J.  H.,  New  York. 


iETTERS  FROM  CUSTOMERS  RECEIVED  BY  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  SQUAB  COMPANY 

302 


APPENDIX  G 


The  year  1909  was  notable  in  the  squab  and  pigeon  world  by  reason  of  two 
important  happenings:  the  founding  of  the  National  Squab  Magazine  and 
the  organization  of  the  National  Squab  Breeders'  Association.  The  maga- 
zine is  a  monthly  periodical.  The  first  number  issued  bore  the  date  Febru- 
ary, 1909.  At  this  writing  (January,  1910)  twelve  numbers  have  been  issued 
and  the  second  year  begun.  This  periodical  was  an  instant  success,  taking 
at  once  a  commanding  position.  It  is  the  first  successful  attempt  made  in 
this  country  to  print  a  handsome,  up-to-date  squab  or  pigeon  periodical  with 
only  original  articles  and  illustrations  giving  instruction  by  competent 
writers.  A  flood  of  letters  at  once  poured  in  commending  the  undertaking 
and  with  its  third  month's  issue  the  magazine  had  the  largest  circulation  of 
any  pigeon  periodical.  So  valuable  and  interesting  has  been  each  number 
of  the  magazine  that  subscribers  obtained  through  the  summer  and  fall  called 
for  back  numbers  in  such  volume  as  to  exhaust  the  supply  of  all  single  back 
issues.  At  present,  copies  of  the  double  holiday  issue  dated  January,  1910 
(the  last  issue  of  volume  one)  are  on  hand  and  will  be  supplied  as  long  as^they 
last  at  twenty  cents  each,  or  that  issue  will  be  given  free  to  all  who  subscribe 
for  one  year  during  the  first  three  months  of  1910.  The  price  of  each  regular 
month's  issue  and  of  specimen  copies  is  ten  cents.  The  price  of  one  year's 
subscription  is  one  dollar  (for  Canada,  $1.24).  A  few  bound  volumes  of  the 
first  year's  issue  were  placed  on  sale  January  1,  1910,  at  five  dollars  a  volume, 
transportation  charges  prepaid. 

The  owners  and  publishers  of  this  magazine  are  the  Squab  Publishing 
Company,  220  Purchase  Street,  Boston,  Mass.  The  magazine  is  open  to  all 
for  both  contributions  and  advertising,  for  all  breeds  of  pigeons.  The  adver- 
tising rate  is  low,  and  advertisers  have  been  getting  amazing  results  on 
account  of  not  only  the  largest  circulation  but  also  the  high  quality  of  the 
readers,  who  are  able  to  buy.  The  magazine  has  a  strong  editorial  staff,  hav- 
ing the  exclusive  services  of  the  best  writers  on  squab  and  pigeon  topics.  It 
is  a  periodical  of  genuine  interest  and  value,  serving  only  the  special  industry 
of  squab  raising,  and  as  such  is  recognized  by  the  United  States  Government 
and  admitted  to  the  mails  at  pound  rates. 

We  commend  this  magazine  highly.  We  write  for  it  and  take  subscrip- 
tions for  it.  We  urge  everybody  interested  in  the  subject  of  pigeons  or  squabs 
to  subscribe  for  it.  It  will  be  found  really  original,  helpful  and  entertaining. 
It  is  entirely  different  from  any  other  periodical.  Any  person  who  sub- 
scribes through  us  and  is  not  pleased  with  the  magazine  can  apply  to  us  and 
get  his  money  refunded. 

By  permission  of  the  Squab  Publishing  Company,  owners  of  the  copyrights, 
we  print  on  the  following  pages,  cut  and  condensed,  a  selection  from  the 
hundreds  of  articles  printed  by  the  magazine  during  1909.  (The  first  volume 
of  the  magazine  contains  over  four  hundred  pages,  each  page  7^  inches  by 
10  %  inches) .  We  have  selected  accounts  written  mostly  by  customers  of  the 
Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company,  who  bought  either  Homers  or  Carneaux,  or 
both,  of  us.  Those  who  wish  to  duplicate  the  successes  which  these  are 
making  should  get  our  birds  and  our  help. 

We  have  also  reproduced  on  the  following  pages  recent  letters  from  leading 
marketmen,  and  these  are  stronger  than  ever  in  giving  us  credit  for  the  found- 
ing of  the  squab  industry  and  for  the  remarkable  excellence  of  the  Plymouth 
Rock  squabs  which  now  dominate  every  market  wherever  squabs  are  sold. 


304 


APPENDIX  G 


MEMBERSHIP  BUTTON*. 

This  photograph  gives  a  view  of 
four  of  the  buttons,  exact  size. 
Two  of  the  buttons  are  turned  so 
a,  to  show  that  eacli  has  a  back 
pie<  e  to  hold  the  button  securely 
on  the  back  of  a  buttonhole. 


NATIONAL  SQUAB  BREEDERS'  ASSOCIATION. 

This  was  formed  in  1909  and  before  the  close  of  the  year  obtained  eight 
thousand  members,  constituting  the  largest  pigeon  organization  in  the  world. 
It  was  organized  by  the  magazine  and  the  headquarters  of  the  association 
are  at  the  magazine  office,  220  Purchase  Street,  Boston,  Mass.  It  costs  noth- 
ing to  join  and  there  are  no  initiation  fees  or  annual  uues.  If  you  are  breeding 
squabs  or  pigeons  for  market  or  for  recreation,  send  in  your  name  and  get  a 
button  and  wear  it.  To  secure  a  button,  send  ten  cents  (either  a  dime  or 
United  States  two-cent  stamps)  to  the  National  Squab  Breeders'  Association, 
220  Purchase  Street,  Boston,  Mass.,  saying  that  you  are  a  member  of  the 
association  and  want  a  button.  If  you  are  not  yet  a  member,  say  that  you 
wish  to  join.  Your  name  then  will  be  enrolled  and  a  button  mailed  you. 
The  button  is  not  cheap  celluloid  or  enamel,  but  is  made  of  solid  copper  alloy, 
bronze,  with  a  dark  finish  like  the  familiar  G.  A.  R.  button.  (It  is  not  a  brass 
button.)  The  buttons  of  the  Spanish  War  Veterans  and  other  organizations 
are  of  the  same  type  and  are  delivered  on  deposit  of  at  least  twenty-five  cents 
and  generally  one  dollar.  Our  button  is  as  good  as  it  is  possible  for  a  bronze 
button  to  be  made.  Wear  the  button  and  talk  up  the  association  among 
your  fellow  pigeon  men  and  others  interested  in  squabs.  Get  them  to  join. 
The  objects  are :  To  profit  financially  by  refusing  to  sell  squabs  at  less  than  a 
profit.  To  encourage  the  eating  of  better  squabs  and  more  of  them.  To  find 
out  the  best  places  to  buy  grain.  To  learn  how  and  where  to  sell  squabs  as 
well  as  how  to  raise  them.  To  unite  as  squab  and  pigeon  breeders,  not  to 
fight  each  other,  but  to  help,  in  any  way  that  comes  up.  To  boost,  and  not 
to  knock.  To  use  the  influence  of  what  is  now  the  largest  pigeon  organiza- 
tion in  the  world,  on  any  topic,  or  in  any  work  that  may  come  up,  in  the 
broadest  and  best  way,  for  the  good  of  all.  To  get  acquainted  with  and 
understand  each  other,  so  that  when  button  wearers  get  together  they  can 
clasp  hands  in  good  fellowship.  Watch  the  magazine  from  month  to 
month  for  bulletins  of  progress. 


APPENDIX  G 


305 


I  TAKE  SQUABS  TO 
MARKET  IN  A  BASKET,  by 
Thomas  Hanigan.  Four  and 
a  half  years  ago  I  bought 
twelve  pairs  of  first-class 
Homers.  They  proved  so  in- 
teresting and  convincing  that 
I  bought  six  pairs  more  a  few 
months  later.  These  were  all 
I  ever  purchased,  but  they 
bred  so  well  there  are  now 
250  full-grown  birds,  and  I 


have  been  marketing  nearly 
ill   the   squabs  for  the 


last 


year. 

I  never  had  any  pigeons 
before,  so  I  studied  their  hab- 
its and  requirements  as  I 
went  along,  aided  by  the 
standard  literature  on  the 
subject. 

In  these  four  years,  but  two 
of  the  pigeons  "  went  light  " 
and  there  have  been  but  six 
cases  of  canker  with  the 
squabs,  never  any  with  the 
old  birds.  There  never  has 
been  any  sickness.  One  night 
there  was  a  commotion  in  the 
flock.  Taking  my  lantern,  I 
went  to  investigate  and  found 
a  rat  in  the  loft,  which  I  killed. 
I  concluded  that  the  only  way 
the  rat  could  have  got  in  was 
by  climbing  a  post  of  the  fly- 
ing pen,  which  was  against 
the  barn  and  near  the  opening 
to  the  loft.  To  guard  against 
its  occurring  again  I  took  a  two-foot  strip 
of  zinc. and  nailed  it  around  this  post,  and 
have  never  seen  another  rat.  There  has  been 
no  trouble  with  lice  or  mites,  for  I  used  to- 
bacco stems  when  I  could  get  them,  for  nest- 
ing material,  and  I  spray  a  little  phenol  dis- 
infectant around  the  loft  every  time  I  clean 
out. 

My  regular  employment  as  baggage- master 
on  the  railroad  makes  it  necessary  for  me  to 
leave  the  house  at  6  o'clock  in  the  morning 
and  I  do  not  get  home  again  until  7.30  at 
night.  This  forces  me  to  feed  and  water  very 
early  in  the  morning,  and  kill  the  squabs  for 
market  in  the  evening.  Cleaning  out  the 
pen  is  a  once-a-week  job,  left  until  Sundays. 
This  does  not  take  very  long. 

My  staple  feed  is  red  wheat  and  cracked 
corn  the  year  round,  in  the  proportions  of 
two-thirds  wheat  to  one-third  cracked  corn  in 
summer  and  the  reverse  in  winter.  For 
change  and  luxury,  I  give  a  little  kaffir  corn, 
millet,  buckwheat  and  hempseed.  Health 
grit,  which  I  buy  regularly,  fine  ground  oyster 
shells,  lump  salt  and  straw  are  kept  before 
them  all  the  time,  and  common  gravel  on  the 
ground  of  the  flying  pen. 

The  one  hundred  pairs  of  Homers  which  are 
mated  supply  me  with  an  average  of  two 
dozen  squabs  a  week  for  market.  Killing 
them  in  the  evening,  as  I  am  obliged  to  do, 


MR.  HANIGAN'S  SQUABS  WEIGHING  A  POUND  APIECE. 


there  is  some  food  left  in  their  crops.  I  ' 
neither  bleed,  pick  nor  dress  them,  for  this  is 
the  way  I  sell  them  at  the  Boston  market. 
They  weigh  a  pound  apiece.  As  my  run  on 
the  train  takes  me  to  Boston  every  day,  I  put 
the  squabs  in  a  basket  and  carry  them  with 
me.  There  I  sell  them  to  the  marketman  who 
will  give  me  the  best  price.  There  is  never 
any  trouble  in  selling  all  I  can  raise.  Last 
week  (the  first  week  in  April),  I  got  $3.60  a 
dozen;  the  week  before,  $4  a  dozen;  and  the 
week  before  that,  $4.50  a  dozen.  Selling  in 
this  way  there  is  no  bother  of  picking,  pack- 
ing, icing  nor  paying  express  charges.  I  have 
never  tried  to  sell  any  squabs  to  the  summer 
people  who  come  to  my  town,  for  they  seem  to 
think  I  ought  to  sell  them  cheap  because  I  am 
in  the  country. 

ENJOY  GREEN  THINGS,  by  Edward  Rob- 
erts. I  have  a  new  idea.  Pigeons  eat  water 
cress  and  radish  tops,  also  green  mustard 
leaves,  and  they  like  all.  I  feed  them  all  the 
bread  they  can  eat. 

One  pigeon  laid  an  egg  in  a  nestbox  with 
no  bowl  and  without  even  building  a  nest,  so 
I  put  straw  in  a  nestbowl  and  placed  the  egg 
in  it.  She  took  to  it  right  off  and  laid 
another  egg  in  two  days,  by  its  side.  She  is 
setting  now. — L.  Franklin. 


306 


APPENDIX  G 


APPENDIX  G 


307 


I  GIVE  UP  CHICKENS 
IN  FAVOR  OF  SQUABS, 
by  Thomas  F.  Cook.  Two 
years  ago  I  had  had  no 
experience  whatever  with 
squabs,  in  fact  had  no  inten- 
tion of  ever  raising  any, 
when  a  gentleman  living 
near  me,  who  was  forced  by 
lack  of  time  to  sell  his  pens 
of  birds,  numbering  about 
400  Homers,  offered  them 
to  me,  and  as  I  had  read 
quite  a  bit  at  that  time  of 
how  well  others  were  doing 
raising  squabs,  I  decided  to 
try  my  luck.  Of  course 
moving  them  disturbed 
them  but  after  a  few  weeks 
they  settled  down  to  work 
and  were  doing  very  fairly, 
when  some  one  told  me 
where  I  could  buy  some  very 
cheap  feed,  viz.:  frozen 
Manitoba  wheat,  which 
turned  out  to  be  the  dear- 
est feed  I  ever  bought. 
The  pigeons  did  not  like  it 
and  would  not  eat  it  if  they 
could  help  it,  but  I  kept 
feeding  it  to  them  as  I 
thought  it  was  cheap  and 
plenty  good  enough  for  pig- 
eons. The  result  was  they 
got  poor  and  practically  quit 
laying,  and  the  few  squabs  I  did  succeed  in 
raising  were  s/i  thin  I  could  not  market  them. 

It  took  me  months  to  get  them  back  in  good 
trim  again,  but  I  finally  succeeded  in  doing 
so  and  they  were  paying  me  very  well  indeed 
when  one  night  in  last  August  my  barn  was 
burned  down  and  the  pigeon  house  with  it.  I 
managed  to  save  about  100  birds,  but  their 
breeding  was  over  for  some  time  till  I  could 
get  another  house  and  pair  them  up  again, 
but  I  had  seen  plainly  that,  rightly  managed, 
there  was  money  in  squabs  so  hearing  of  a  lot 
of  about  900  that  were  for  sale  in  Thornhill 
(about  15  miles  from  here)  I  bought  them  with 
the  building  they  were  in  (a  one-story  frame 
structure  fifty  feet  long  by  fifteen  feet  wide) , 
shut  the  birds  up  in  the  house  and  pulled  the 
flying  pens  down,  then  sawed  the  whole  build- 
ing in  _  two  through  the  centre  pen.  We 
moved  it  up  here  on  trucks  and  set  it  down  on 
a  good  foundation  and  built  twenty  more  feet 
in  the  centre  of  the  one  we  moved,  making  a 
building  seventy  feet  long. 

It  was  quite  a  bit  of  trouble  and  expense 
moving  the  building  that  way  but  it  paid  me, 
as  the  birds  went  right  on  breeding,  in  fact 
with  the  exception  of  a  very  few  eggs  that 
rolled  out  of  some  of  the  nests  they  did  not 
seem  to  know  they  had  been  moved. 

As  a  main  feed  I  use  corn,  Canada  peas  and 
buckwheat  alternately,  with  a  little  hemp, 
kaffir  corn  and  wheat  as  dainties,  also  plenty 
of  grit  and  a  lump  of  rock  salt  always  in  each 
pen,  also  lots  of  clean  water  before  them  at  all 


SQUAB   PLANT  MOVED  FIFTEEN  MILES. 


times,  and  a  bath  placed  in  each  flying  pen 
every  morning  during  the  summer.  In  the 
winter  I  give  them  a  bath  only  on  nice  bright 
days  when  it  is  warm  enough  so  that  there  is 
no  danger  of  the  water  freezing. 

I  might  say  that  all  my  birds  are  thorough- 
bred Homers.  I  intend  to  buy  some  Car- 
neaux  later  on  and  intend  to  cross  with  the 
Homers,  as  of  conrse  the  larger  the  squabs  the 
more  I  can  get  for  them.  My  squabs  now 
average  about  nine  to  ten  pounds  to  the  dozen. 

I  have  been  raising  quite  a  lot  of  chickens, 
but  am  gradually  dropping  them  and  intend 
to  increase  the  pigeons,  as  they  pay  better, 
take  up  less  room,  are  less  trouble,  and  the  re- 
turns come  in  every  week.  There  is  no  slack 
time  with  them  as  far  as  my  experience  goes. 
Under  proper  conditions  and  right  treatment 
they  breed  every  month  in  the  year. 

HOW  TO  GET  GOOD  FEEDERS,  by 
James  Y.  Egbert.  Feeding  qualities  of  pig- 
eons in  a  flock  vary  almost  as  much  as  the 
number  of  birds  in  the  pen.  Some  feed  their 
young  early  and  often  and  stuff  them  full, 
making  large,  plump  squabs.  Others  feed 
moderately  and  their  squabs  are  not  so  fat. 
Some  parent  birds  can  raise  three  and  oc- 
casionally four  squabs,  but  the  latter  is  rare. 
A  squab  breeder  should  observe  his  birds  and 
mate  those  of  good  feeding  qualities.  In  this 
way  he  would  build  up  a  flock  of  large,  sturdy, 
well-fed  birds.  Good  feeding  qualities  are 
handed  down  from  one  generation  to  another 


308 


APPENDIX 


HOW  A  FERTILE  EGG  LOOKS  AFTER  SIX  DAYS. 
The  nucleus  with  the  veins  radiating  from  it  may  be 
clearly  seen  at  this  time.  The  white  space  at  the  end 
of  the  egg  is  the  air  space.  Around  the  egg  inside 
may  be  seen  the  white  membrane  lining. 


HATCH  ONLY  EGGS  OF  THE  LARGEST 
BIRDS,  by  M.  C.  Martin.  Many  buyers  of 
limited  means  who  wish  to  start  with  six  or  a 
dozen  pairs  of  Homers,  demand  the  very 
choicestjjbirds  to  breed  their  flock  from,  i.e. 
they  insist  that  all  be  the  very  best  or  "top." 

As  a  matter  of  fact  birds  are  not  all  the 
same  size  and  weight.  Just  like  buying 
apples.  You  have  to  take  them  as  they  come. 
They  are  already  "  sorted  "  and  the  merchant 
will  not  pick  them  for  you.  So  with  birds. 

The  writer  desired  to  breed  up  a  flock  of 
the  very  finest  Homers  and  Carneaux  arid  this 
is  how  he  did  it. 

In  a  dozen  pair  about  half  of  them  will  be 
exceptionally  fine  and  the  rest  only  ordinary. 
Whenever  one  of  the  smaller  birds  lays,  you 
will  find  that  at  least  one  of  the  largest  hens 
has  done  the  same.  Throw  away  the  eggs  of 
the  smaller  bird  and  substitute  for  them  the 
eggs  of  the  larger  bird.  The  smaller  pair  will 
hatch  out  the  eggs  of  the  large  pair  of  Homers. 

In  about  ten  days  or  two  weeks  the  large 
hen  will  lay  again.  Repeat  the  process  three 
or  four  times  and  then  let  the  large  hen  set  and 
hatch  out  her  own  eggs.  When  she  lays 
again  rob  her  nest  and  so  on  as  before. 

If  you  cannot  find  enough  small  birds  to 
hatch  the  large  ones  continuously,  of  course 
do  the  next  best  thing.  Always  make  the 
smaller  pairs  hatch  the  eggs  of  the  large  ones 
and  never  their  own. 

In  this  way  you  will  get  almost  as  many 
birds  in  a  year  from  the  very  largest,  as  in  the 
natural  way  you  would  have  raised  from  large 
and  small  both.  This  would  hardly  pay  in 
raising  squabs  for  market,  but  it  assuredly 
pays  when  increasing  your  flock  of  birds. 

The  same  plan  may  be  used  with  the  Car- 
neaux or  any  other  high-priced  birds.  Use 
the  small  Homers  to  do  the  work  of  setting 
for  your  Carneaux  and  it  is  amazing  how 
rapidly  the  large  birds  will  multiply. 

In  changing  the  eggs   from  one  nest   to 


another,  you  must  be  sure  that  the  birds  have 
laid  about  the  same  time  (not  over  three  days' 
difference)  or  the  one  setting  will  either  have 
no  bird  milk  in  her  crop  or,  if  she  has  set  too 
long,  the  milk  will  be  so  thick  the  little  squab 
cannot  take  it. 

This  is  the  only  precaution  necessary,  the 
birds  will  do  the  rest.  All  eggs  look  alike 
to  them,  but  unlike  the  chicken  very  few  will 
set  longer  than  nineteen  or  twenty  days. 

Some  might  object  to  this  method  as  being 
cruel  and  contrary  to  nature,  but  a  study  of 
the  case  shows  that  it  is  not.  A  pigeon  has  a 
short  memory  and  a  very  strong  nesting  in- 
stinct. Rob  the  nest  one  day  and  the  birds 
will  many  times  go  to  nesting  the  very  next 
day,  showing  that  they  are  not  very  much 
"  upset  "  and  are  willing  to  try  again  right 
away.  Fifteen  or  more  pairs_  of  squabs  may 
be  raised  from  one  pair  of  birds  in  this  way 
without  affecting  the  health  of  the  old  birds 
in  the  least,  and  the  young  are  strong  and 
healthy. 

A  complete  explanation  of  this  method  of 
forced  breeding  is  found  in  Rice's  manual,  the 
National  Standard  Squab  Book  (see  page  231) 
and  the  writer  can  testify  to  its  verity,  as  he 
has  tested  it  thoroughly  and  boasts  of  one  of 
the  finest  flocks  of  Homers  and  Carneaux  in 
the  West,  obtained  by  this  method  of  forced 
breeding. 

After  the  eggs  have  been  sat  on  for  four  of 
five  days,  hold  them  up  between  yourself  and 
the  sun,  and  if  they  are  fertilized,  you  will 
clearly  see  a  nucleus  with  a  network  of  veins 
clustered  about  it.  It  looks  iust  like  the  one- 
celled  animal  in  the  lowest  scale  of  animal  life, 
such  as  the  amceba. 

If  eggs  are  not  fertile,  they  will  appear  trans- 
parent with  only  a  small  patch  of  red  coloring 
matter  within.  Shake  the  e^gs  and  they  will 
be  found  to  be  spoiled.  Throw  them  away 
and  the  birds  will  lay  again  in  a  week  or  ten 
days.  If  only  one  egg  is  fertile,  look  for  more 
"  bad  "  eggs,  and  many  times  you  will  find 
several  nests  with  one  good  and  one  bad  egg. 
By  holding  them  before  you  in  the  sun  or  be- 
fore a  lamp,  you  can  with  a  little  practice,  by 
the  appearance  of  the  nucleus  (if  during  the 
first  week  of  incubation),  match  up  the  eggs 
just  as  well  as  to  wait  until  each  pair  of  birds 
hatches  and  then  arrange  the  young  two  in  a 
nest. 

Two  or  three  weeks'  time  may  be  saved  on  a 
pair  of  birds  by  this  method.  My  motto  is: 
After  five  days,  always  have  two  fertile  eggs  in 
each  nest. 

NINE  OF  TEN  SQUABS  FEMALES,  by 
Dr.  H.  N.  Kingsford.  I  bought  a  pair  of  Car- 
neaux in  January,  1908.  This  has  turned  out 
to  be  a  peculiar  pair,  in  regard  to  the  sex  of 
the  young  which  they  have  bred,  as  I  have 
raised  five  pairs  of  young  from  them,  nine  of 
which  were  females,  the  remaining  one  a  male. 
The  first  four  pairs  were  eight  females.  I 
have  four  hundred  pairs  of  birds.  I  use  a 
great  many  pigeons  in  my  work  in  teaching 
I  make  them  pay. 


APPENDIX  G 


309 


HOW  TO    KEEP    MICE  OUT   OF 
GRAIN  TROUGHS,  by  W.  L.  Plumer. 

For  those  who,  like  the  writer,  have 
been  annoyed  by  the  depredations  of 
mice  in  the  self-feeders  within  the 
squabhouse  a  sketch  is  given  show- 
ing arrangement  which,  while  simple, 
has  proven  entirely  effective  against 
these  little  rodents.  Squab  breeders 
are  in  many  cases  losing  a  much  greater 
amount  of  grain  from  this  cause  than 
they  irealize,  as  while  it  is  compara- 
tively easy  so  to  build  the  squabhouse 
that  it  is  secure  against  the  entrance 
of  rats,  the  little  mouse  will  in  some 
way  get  in,  and  in  numbers  unsus- 
pected by  the  breeder  unless  he  has 
paid  a  night  visit  to  the  lofts.  At  the 
time  I  followed  the  general  custom  of 
placing  the  feeders  upon  the  floor,  it 
was  no  uncommon  occurrence  on  the 
morning  rounds  to  disturb  one  or  more 
mice  which  had  lingered  within  the 
feeders  from  the  night  before. 

After  some  slight  alterations  the  self- 
feeders  were  arranged  in  the  following 
manner :  In  the  centre  of  the  unit  or  loft  are 
placed  two  uprights  two  by  four,  thirty-two 
to  thirty-four  inches  high  and  thirty  inches 
apart,  with  strips  four  by  ten  inches  on  bot- 
tom of  each,  which  are  nailed  to  the  floor. 
This  together  with  two  short  braces  gives 
the  necessary  support.  On  the  top  of  each  up- 
right is  placed  an  inverted  three-gallon  crock,  a 
board  five  by  eight  inches  first  being  nailed 
to  top  of  uprights,  and  on  these  the  crocks 
rest  rigidly. 

A  NEW  WAY  TO  COOK  SQUABS,  by  Mrs. 
M.  E.  Slight.  I  clean  them  and  split  them 
in  halves,  then  fry  them  in  olive  oil  and 
butter,  two-thirds  oil  and  one-third  butter. 
I  first  brown  in  the  oil  and  butter,  then  cover 
them  with  water  and  simmer  until  they  are 
cooked  dry,  then  I  slightly  brown  them  again 
and  make  a  cream  gravy  to  eat  with  them. 
I  ship  my  squabs  alive  to  San  Francisco  and 
average  $3  a  dozen  for  them.  I  have  sold 
some  to  the  sanitarium  also. 

BURLAP  WINDOWS  VENTILATE,  by 
C.  A.  Herrold.  I  have  two  hundred  Homers 
all  working,  and  I  am  selling  squabs  from 
them  that  run  from  eight  to  nine  pounds  to 
the  dozen.  They  bring  me  from  $2.50  to  $3 
in  Chicago  sold  by  commission  men.  I  have 
no  trouble  in  keeping  my  birds  in  healthy 
condition.  I  think  the  first  thing  a  beginner 
should  learn  is  to  ventilate  the  pigeon  house. 
They  must  have  pure  air  to  breathe.  Do  not 
ventilate  so  that  the  wind  will  stnke  the 
birds.  I  think  the  roof  should  slope  both 
ways,  with  a  ventilator  in  each  gable  sixteen 
inches  by  twenty-four  inches.  The  window 
on  the  south  side  should  be  taken  out  and 
left  out  in  winter  as  well  as  in  summer.  Put 
a  roller  at  top  of  window  with  gunny  sacking 
to  pull  down  in  bad  weather  or  in  very  cold 
weather. 


RAT-PROOF  SELF-FEEDER  FOR  GRAIN. 


MISSOURI  BREEDER  SHIPS  TO  PITTS- 
BURG,  by  J.  B.  Beckman.  It  was  a  year  ago 
the  twelfth  of  this  month  (June)  that  I  re- 
ceived the  first  twenty-five  pairs  of  Homer 
breeders  and  I  have  at  present  two  hundred 
and  fifty  pairs  of  working  Homers,  and  fine 
ones,  too.  I  have  quit  selling  squabs  in  my 
town  for  they  will  not  pay  over  $3  per  dozen, 
so  I  ship  to  Pittsburg,  Penn.  I  get  $3.75  for 
nine-pound,  and  $4  for  ten-pound  squabs. 
My  check  comes  every  week,  and  it  amounts 
to  $12  to  $15  a  week. 

I  can  raise  a  good  deal  of  my  feed.  I  have 
fifteen  acres  of  land,  high  up  on  a  hill.  I  have 
about  five  acres  of  Canada  peas,  and  the  vines 
are  loaded.  I  have  kaffir  corn  and  millet,  and 
big  corn,  all  for  my  birds,  and  about  two  acres 
of  sunflowers — and  all  doing  well. 

I  have  a  five-horsepower  gasoline  engine  for 
pumping  my  water  for  my  birds. 

We  are  going  to  enlarge  our  plant  before 
fall  for  three  hundred  more  pairs.  With  what 
buildings  I  already  have  I  will  then  be  breed- 
ing seven  hundred  pairs.  I  think  things  look 
good  for  me. 

FRANTIC  OVER  GREEN  VINES,  by  Louis 
A.  Hart.  I  am  having  fine  success  with  my 
Carneaux.  All  four  pairs  that  I  bought  have 
families,  besides  some  of  the  squabs  that  have 
mated.  I  am  enlarging  my  flying  pen,  en- 
closing a  lettuce  and  a  tomato  bed.  They  do 
so  much  better  with  more  room,  and  they  ,;o 
frantic  over  green  Canada  pea  vines. 

1  am  raising  some  very  fine  Homer  squabs 
but  not  enough  to  supply  the  demand  for  this 
kind  of  stock.  In  my  position  as  meat  cutter 
in  one  of  the  highest  class  markets  here,  I 
have  a  good  opportunity  to  market  all  the 
squabs  I  can  raise. — Henry  A.  Lindenschmitt, 
Colorado. 


310 


APPENDIX  G 


Mr.   Elmer  C.   Rice,  Treasurer, 
Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co., 
Boston,  Mass. 


NEW  YORK, 


Dear  Sir: 


*e  are  very  pleased  to  note  the  signal  success  of  the  Squab  Mag- 
azine, and  the  small  card  which  we  inserted  with  our  name,  has  brought 
us  numerous  inquiries  from  all  over  the  country  from  Squab  Raisers,  as  to 
market  prices   and   conditions,  and  has  resulted  in  the  receipt  of  ship- 
ments of  some jery  fine  birds. 

There  is  absolutely  no  limit  to  the  quantity  of  Squabs  we  can 
handle,  and  as  our  trade  is  constantly  extending,  we  are  anxious  at 
all  times  to  keep  in  touch  with  raisers  of  good  Squabs. 

It   is  a  source  of  satisfaction  to  observe  the  better  quality 
of  birds  now  being  received  on  the  market,  due,  no  doubt,  to  the 
eliminating  of  poor  breeding  stock,  greater  care  and  attention  given 
to  the  keeping  and  feeding  of   the  birds,  and  more  intelligent  dressing 
and   shipping.       All  thia    is  due,  we  believe,   to   the   educational 
efforts  of  yporself .  and  the  testimony  is  present   in  the  superior 
Duality  of  the  Squabs  now  being  received,  as  compared  witn  a  few 


We  endeavor  at  all  times  to  give  our  shippers   the  best  possible 
prices,  nake  prompt  returns,  and  are  pleased   to  furnish  all  the  inform- 
ation in  our  power. 

We  wish  to  thank  you  for  the  courtesies  you  have  shown  us  in  the 
past,  and  with  best  wishes  for  success  in  your  continued  efforts  to 
improve  the  squab  industry,  we  are, 

Very  truly  yours, 


ISS/LLO 


APPENDIX  G 


311 


HOW  THE  CITY  MARKETMAN  WANTS 
SQUABS,  by  A.  SUz.  Squab  raisers  should 
bear  in  mind  that  squabs  should  not  be  more 
than  three  to  four  weeks  old  when  killed,  and 
after  being  killed,  it  is  very  essential  that  they 
be  allowed  to  bleed  properly,  by  hanging  head 
downward,  otherwise  the  blood  congeals  and 
tends  to  turn  the  bird  more  or  less  dark.  The 
best-sejling  squab,  at  all  times,  is  the  one 
which  is  perfectly  white  and  free  from  blem- 
ishes. 

Within  a  short  time  after  being  killed  and 
after  being  dry-picked  perfectly  clean  of  all 
feathers,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  immerse  the 
squabs  in  ice-cold  water  until  such  time  as 
they  are  to  be  packed  for  shipment.  They 
should  never  be  held  for  any  length  of  time,  as 
it  tends  to  make  the  birds  flabby,  and  by  the 
time  they  get  to  the  dealer,  who  places  them 
to  the  trade,  they  present  a  very  stale,  unde- 
sirable appearance,  and  in  the  majority  of 
cases,  must  be  sold  at  a  sacrifice  as  a  result  of 
this  condition. 

We  receive,  from  time  to  time,  among  the 
fancy  squabs,  some  nice,  large,  plump  birds 
which  would  otherwise  be  perfect  were  it  not 
for  one  or  more  red  blotches  which  appear  on 
the  back  of  the  bird  and  detract  from  its 
appearance  to  such  an  extent  that  high-class 
trade  will  not  touch  them  at  all.  If  squab 
raisers  can  arrive  at  some  method  by  which 
these  red  blotches  will  be  eliminated  they  will 
very  naturally  benefit,  as  the  birds  will  bring 
better  money,  at  all  times,  where  this  con- 
dition is  not  apparent. 

During  the  summer  months,  the  squabs, 
after  being  properly  cooled,  should  be  care- 
fully packed  between  layers  of  cracked  ice, 
using  a  layer  first  to  cover  the  bottom  of  the 
package,  then  a  layer  of  squabs  arranged  head 
downward,  then  another  good  layer  of  ice,  a 
layer  of  squabs  and  so  on,  and  when  the  pack- 
age is  filled  a  good  double  layer  of  ice  on  top, 
so  that  the  birds  are  completely  enveloped, 
This  will  keep  them  thoroughly  chilled  and 
prevent  any  chance  of  spoiling  while  en  route 


A.  SILZ. 

to  the  dealer.  Care,  however,  must  be  exer- 
cised, even  here,  that  too  many  squabs  are  not 
put  into  a  package.  It  is  better  to  use  a 
little  more  ice  and  not  pack  the  squabs  very 
tightly,  as  this  all  tends  to  bring  them  to 
market  in  the  best  possible  condition. 

WHY,     WHEN,     HOW    TO    TRANSFER 
SQUABS.     It  is  a  noticeable  fact  to  all  squab 
breeders  that  there  is  apt  to  be  a  difference 
of  size  between  the  two  squabs  in  a  nest  when 
they  are  three  days  old  and  upwards  and  that 
the  difference  in  size  becomes  more  apparent 
the  older  they  get  until  they  are  pretty  well 
feathered.     This  condition  is  found  less  with 
Homers  than  with  any  of  the  other  breeds, 
but  Homers  are  not  exempt  from  it.     The 
reason  for  it  is  that  one  egg  hatches  from  one 
to  two  days  before  the  other.     As  soon  as 
the   first  one  hatches   the  parents  begin   to 
feed  it  and  it  will  double  in  size  in  a  day  or 
two  so  that  when  the  second  squab  hatches 
it  is  only  half  the  size  and  strength  of  the 
first  one.  Have  a  flat-bottomed 
basket  or  box  with  a  handle 
that  you  can  carry  on  your  arm. 
With  this  go  through  all  your 
nests  twice  a  week  and  even 
up  the  sizes  of  the  two  squabs 
in   each    nest.     First,   take   a 
hasty  glance  through  the  nests 
in  a  pen  to  get  an  estimate  of 
how  many  pairs  of  squabs  need 
attending  to  and  their  relative 
sizes.     Then    take   one   of  an 
uneven    pair  and   put   in  the 
nest   of  another  uneven   pair 
so  that  the  two  will   exactly 
match,  remove  the  third  one 
thus  formed  and  either  put  it 
in   the   first  nest  or   in   some 
other  so  that  they  will  exactly 
match  in  size  and  so  on.     If 
there  is  a  nest  with  but  one 

• SILZ  ™™^&WA$1E  op  THETEANS-  i"?iltf&SS£ 


312 


APPENDIX  G 


SQUAB  PEN  FOR  POULTRY  SHOW. 

This  is  good  advertising  for  a  poultry  show,  much  better  than  merely 
showing  the  old  birds  for  a  stranger  to  squabs  is  intensely  interested  in  see- 
ing the  young  and  actually  realizing  how  quickly  they  grow  to  market  size. 


HOW  I  SELL  SQUABS  FOR  SIX  DOLLARS 
A  DOZEN,  by  Lynn  L.  James.  My  intro- 
duction to  squabs  came  through  buying  only 
three  pairs  of  Homers  a  year  ago,  or  to  be 
more  exact,  on  February  15,  1908.  I  was 
then,  and  had  been  for  some  years,  a  breeder 
of  high-grade  poultry,  single  comb  white,  buff 
and  brown  leghorns.  I  had  read  a  good  deal 
about  squabs  and  being  over-cautious,  per- 
haps, started  with  only  the  three  pairs. 

I  bought  them  at  the  right  place  and  my 
experience  with  them  was  so  encouraging, 
they  did  so  well,  that  on  July  25,  1908, 1  in- 
vested a  hundred  dollars  in  sixty  pairs  more 
from  the  same  concern.  These  have  kept  on 
irith  the  good  work  and  this  month  I  am 

sing  fifty  pairs  more. 

certainly  have  had  unbounded  success 
and  now  have  a  house  of  four  units  more  under 
construction.  I  have  five  units  full  of  breed- 
ers and  cannot  get  enough  squabs  for  my 
trade.  I  have  no  competition  in  my  Pennsyl- 
vania city,  and  the  enclosed  card  will  show 
you  my  prices. 

I    have    discarded    poultry    entirely.     All 
pigeons  for  me.     As  the  old  saying  goes,  they       S™ 
have  chickens  "  beaten  to  a  frazzle  " — and  I 
did  exceedingly  well  with  them  also. 

The  accompanying  photograph  shows  my 
exhibition  coop  at  the  poultry  show  here.  I 
built  that  exhibition  pen  for  the  poultry  show 
after  my  own  ideas.  The  nests  contained 
squabs  of  all  ages  with  the  old  birds  caring  for 
them,  all  finished  in  red  and  white  same  as  my 


coops  are.  The  news* 
papers  gave  .it  a  good 
notice. 

I  have  exhibited  at  va- 
rious places  this  fall  and 
winter  in  hot  competition 
and  taken  all  the  first  and 
second  prizes,  and  it  all 
helps  my  advertising  as 
my  cards,  etc.,  are  all 
trade-marked.  I  am  breed- 
ing from  two  hundred 
pairs  now,  getting  from 
$3..riO  to  $6  per  dozen.  I 
sold  $24  worth  of  squabs 
yesterday  and  turned 
away  telephone  orders 
amounting  to  $12.50  since 
noon  to-day,  but  won't  do 
that  long. 

People  here  say  they 
never  saw  such  large 
squabs.  I  am  getting  the 
whole  city  stirred  up  over 
it. 

The  mortality  list  is  very 
small  compared  with  chick- 
ens, and  squabs  are  less 
work,  while  for  profit,  well, 
chickens  may  as  well  quit 
trying.  I  have  all  three 
hospitals  ordering  squabs, 
and  hotels  clamoring  for 
even  the  smallest.  It's 
great,  I  tell  you.  Guess  I 
have  blown  my  own  horn  enough,  but  I  get 
enthusiastic  over  it  and  forget  to  stop. 

The  card  which  Mr.  James  refers  to  in  his 
letter  above  is  what  is  known  as  a  private  post- 
card. On  the  front  is  a  place  for  the  one-cent 
stamp  and  the  address  of  the  customer.  On 
the  back-  is  the  following  printed  matter,  the 
places  for  the  prices  being  left  blank  and  filled 
in  by  pen  when  the  card  is  sent  out. 
(Italic  type  indicates  what  is  filled  in  by  pen  ) 


Trade  Mark 
appears 


e) 


EAT 


Squabs 


buyi 


We  are  pleased  to  quote  you  prices  on  fresh 
Squabs  for  the  month  of  February,  iqog .  a? 
follows : 

Prime,  10  Ibs.  to  doz.,  per  doz.  $6.00 

No.  1,  8  to  9  Ibs.  to  doz.,  per  doz.       $5.25-5.50 
No.  2,  6  to  8  Ibs.  to  doz.,  per  doz.         3.75-4.50 

Unpicked    Squabs    twenty-five    cents    per 
dozen  less  the  above  prices.     Telephone  orders 
"ven    prompt    and    careful    attention.     Bell 
one   1208-R.     People's   Phone   710-R. 

JAMES'  SQUAB  YARDS 

Mr.  James  sends  out  the  above  postal  care* 
(no  letter  under  a  two-cent  stamp  needed)  to 
past  and  prospective  customers,  once  a  week, 
or  as  needed,  and  they  order  by  either  of  the 
two  telephone  systems  or  by  postal  or  letter. 


APPENDIX  G 


313 


HOW    TO     MAKE     A     CHEAP 
SHIPPING  CRATE,  by  F.  B.  Shepard. 

The  crate  we  use  for  retail,  or  indi- 
vidual, trade  in  dozen  lots  as  shown  in 
the  picture  is  made  of  strips  of  any 
light,  tough  wood  except  pine,  as  the 
odor  from  pine  might  taint  the  squabs. 
The  strips  should  be  sand-papered  so 
that  the  crate  will  look  and  be  clean. 
The'cover  is  fastened  at  the  back  with 
wire  loops,  not  hinges.  The  cove_r  is 
fastened  at  the  front  with  pieces  of  iron 
wire  three  inches  long,  which  you  bend 
around  the  heads  of  two  nails.  The 
strips  of  wood  are  seven-eighths  of  an 
inch  or  one  inch  wide.  The  nails 
are  wire  brads,  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  long,  not  only  driven  in  but 
clinched  where  possible. 

Each  squab  is  wrapped  in  waxed 
paper.     Six   squabs    are   put  on   the 
bottom  of  the  crate,  breasts  up,  and 
six  more  on  top,  breasts  up,  thus  the  crate  be- 
ing filled. 

The  express  company  is  conquered  by  such 
a  crate.  It  is  so  light  (it  weighs  only  seven- 
teen ounces),  that  the  additional  express 
charges  amount  to  little  or  nothing.  It  has 
cost  less  than  would  be  asked  to  transport  it 
back  home,  so  your  customer  can  keep  it. 

SELLING  2000  DOZEN  SQUABS  A  WEEK, 
by  Ray  S.  Long.  A  short  time  ago  I  had 
occasion  to  step  into  the  New  York  store  of 
Heineman  Brothers,  to  see  how  their  business 
was,  and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  I  was  greatly 
impressed  with  their  methods  of  handling 
their  big  trade.  They  have  a  very  large, 
spacious  building  in  Washington  Street  well 
equipped  with  every  modern  appliance  for 
carrying  on  their  extensive  business,  which  is 
located  in  one  of  the  busiest  sections  of  lower 
New  York.  They  handle  all  kinds  of  poul- 
try, game,  etc.,  but  that  which  most  attracted 
my  attention  was  the  enormous  trade  in 
squabs.  This  trade  is  attended  to  in  a  very 
quick  and  efficient  manner,  consequently  they 
have  to  have  plenty  of  squabs  on  hand  in 
order  to  supply  the  demand,  which  calls  for 
from  fifteen  hundred  dozen  to  two  thousand 
dozen  squabs  weekly,  most  of  which  are  used 
by  many  of  the  large  hotels,  restaurants  and 
steamships  They  are  at  all  times  in  a 
position  to  handle  good  squabs  and  pay  the 
highest  prices  for  them,  as  they  cater  to  a 
fancy  trade  which  demands  a  good  squab,  one 
that  is  white  and  plump  weighing  from  seven 
and  one-half  to  twelve  pounds  to  the  dozen. 
They  pay  the  best  price  for  birds  of  this  weight. 
In  packing  for  shipment,  great  care  should  be 
used  in  arranging  the  squabs  according  to 
size,  color  and  general  appearance.  It  takes 
only  a  little  more  time  and  attention  but  it 
more  than  pays  one  in  the  end ,  for  the  squabs 
command  a  better  price. 

The  squab  market  in  New  York  is  never 
overcrowded  with  first-grade  squabs.  I  ad- 
vise those  who  are  raising  squabs  to  raise  only 
A  No.  1  birds,  for  then  they  need  never  fear  of 


TEN-CENT  SHIPPING  CRATE  FOR  ONE  DOZEN  SQUABS. 

Insjde  dimensions,  in  inches,  14  long,  7  wide,  6  high.    Strips  are 
one  inch  wide.'  Weight  17  ounces. 


not  finding  a  good  active  market  for  them  at 
all  times.  Everywhere  the  trade  is  demand- 
ing good  squabs  and  is  willing  to  pay  for  them. 
It  doesn't  pay  to  waste  one's  time  raising  in- 
ferior ones,  so  get  busy  and  produce  the  kind 
that  is  wanted. 

The  Heineman  Brothers  are  always  ready 
to  receive  squabs,  so  do  not  be  afraid  of  send- 
ing them  too  many  fine  ones,  for  they  can 
handle  any  number. 

You  will  be  pleased  and  encouraged  to 
know  that  many  of  those  who  ship  squabs  to 
this  concern  state  that  their  parent  stock  is 
from  Mr.  Rice's  famous  Plymouth  Rock  birds. 
Letters  come  to  them  telling  of  the  good  re- 
sults obtained  which  are  simply  due  to  their 
being  started  right  by  Mr.  Rice,  and  it  pays  to 
start  them  right,  for  then  one  does  not  meet 
with  the  discouragements  that  many  do  who 
buy  cheap  birds;  further,  their  trade  is  con- 
tinually demanding  squabs  raised  from  the 
Plymouth  Rock  stock,  giving  evidence  of  the 
sterling  qualities  of  these  birds. 

MATTING  STRAWS  FOR  NESTING,  by 
Edward  Rice,  Texas.  A  good  substitute  for 
tobacco  stems  is  matting  straws  unwoven 
and  cut  into  five  or  six-inch  lengths.  They 
make  a  thick  and  compact  nest  and  the 
birds  like  them  if  they  are  sweet  and  not  too 
old.  In  this  way  a  cheap  but  good  nesting 
material  may  be  provided.  Some  may  think 
that  they  are  not  good  because  they  don't 
keep  away  mites  and  lice,  but  I  think  cleanli- 
ness is  the  best  thing  for  that  purpose  anyhow. 

WIRE  DOOR  FOR  VENTILATION,  oy 
Edward  Rice,  Texas.  In  order  to  pive  n  y 
pigeons  plenty  of  fresh  air  I  have  removed 
the  wooden  door  in  my  loft  and  put  a  wire 
one  in  its  place.  The  air  inside  the  house  is 
always  fresh.  As  the  door  is  in  the  east  end 
of  the  house  it  allows  the  sun  to  shine  in  and 
warm  up  things  on  winter  mornings,  and 
also  ahows  the  easterly  breezes  to  blow 
through  it  in  summer.  Sometimes  I  close 
the  door  on  cold  nights. 


314 


APPENDIX  G 


Sept.   34th, 1909. 


yr.  Elmer  C.  Rice, 

Treasurer,  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co., 

Boston,  Mass. 
Dear  Sir: 

We  herewith  wish  to  state,  that  with  all  our  numerous 
shipments,  we  take  great  pleasure  in  noticing  the  fact  that 
they  use  your  breed  of  birds.  This  class  of  birds  has  given 
us  and  our  customers  the  best  of  satisfaction,  we  having  no_ 
complaints  whatever  offered  us  during  the  entire  past  season. 

We  have  asked  a  large  majority  of  our  shippers  where  they 
at  first  purchased  their  stock  to  go  into  business,  and  find 
your  name  at  the  top  of  the  list. 

There  is  none  who  takes  such  an  interest  in  the  breeding 
of  squabs  as  your  firm  does,  and  we  assure  you  that  anyone 
purchasing  your  stock  will  be  satisfactorily  recompensed  for 
his  venture,  and  will  always  be  perfectly  satisfied  with  the 
Outcome  of  using  your  breed  of  birds.  We  can  only  say,  they 
are  the  best  for  them  to  handle,  and  past  experience  has 
taught  us  they  will  make  more  money  in  shorter  time,  .DOIH3 
BUSINESS  DIRECTLY  WITH  YOU, 


APPENDIX  G 


315 


HOW  TO  TRAIN  HOMERS 
TO  CARRY  NEWS,  by  Alfred 
Lloyd.  To  obtain  best  results 
in  condition  and  endurance  in 
the  flying  game  regularity  in 
feeding  and  exercise  is  nec- 
essary. We  generally  fly  the 
birds  three  times  a  day,  about 
thirty  minutes  to  a  fly,  for  a 
week  or  so.  After  that  we  give 
them  one  hour  three  times  a 
day.  Our  first  toss  would  be 
two  miles;  the  second  toss  five 
miles;  the  third,  ten  miles;  the 
fourth,  twenty  miles;  the  fifth, 
thirty-five  miles;  the  sixth, 
fifty  miles;  the  seventh,  sev 
enty-five  miles,  and  the  eighth, 
one  hundred  miles.  After  that 
the  birds  ought  to  fly  one- 
hundred-mile  jumps  right  up 
to  five  hundred  mile_s. 

Of  course  one  might  take  a 
bird  from  the  loft  and  jump  it 
to  five  hundred  miles  and  have 
it  come  back,  but  it  is  simply 
a  chance.  I  jumped  one  my-  - 
self  from  thirty-five  to  five  hun- 
dred miles,  but  it  took  five 
days  to  get  home. 

The  above  training  applies 
to  mature  birds,  but  for  train- 
ing young  birds  it  is  different. 
Young  ones  should  not  be  flown 
before  they  are  three  mpnths 
old,  and  it  is  better  to  wait  un- 
til six  months.  There  are  more 
Homers  whose  training  begins  at  six  months 
than  at  three.  Young  Homers  should  not  be 
given  more  than  a  hundred-mile  fly  for  the  first 
three  tosses.  The  best  way  is  to  give  them 
tosses  of  three,  five,  ten,  fifteen  and  twenty- 
five  miles.  After  that,  they  can  stand  jumps 
from  twenty-five  to  one  hundred  miles. 

The  picture  on  this  page  shows  an  opening 
guarded  with  wires  set  where  the  window  of 
the  squabhouse  generally  is,  or  at  the  end  of 
the  flying  pen.  The  bird  pictured  has  just 
completed  a  flight  and  is  about  to  push  the 
wires  further  and  drop  down  into  the  middle 
of  the  coop.  As  soon  as  the  bob  wires  move 
out  from  a  vertical  position,  the  electric  cir- 
cuit is  made  by  the  contact  breaker  and  the 
electric  bell  rings  to  inform  the  owner  that  the 
bird  has  arrived  home.  Two  cells  of  dry 
battery  are  shown  in  the  picture,  also  the 
electric  bell.  The  battery  and  bell  may  be 
set  anywhere  on  the  premises,  even  two 
hundred  feet  away  in  the  residence  of  the 
owner,  if  desired.  As  soon  as  the  bird  has 
dropped  into  the  pen,  the  wires  fall  back  to  a 
vertical  position  and  the  bell  stops  ringing. 
A  battery  of  two  cells  would  cost  fifty  cents. 
An  electric  bell  costs  about  fifty  cents.  The 
wiring  would  cost  half  a  dollar  more.  The 
bob  wires  and  frame  cost  about  twenty-five 
cents  a  wire.  You  can  buy  them  with  two, 
four  or  six  wires,  etc.  The  whole  outfit  is  in- 
expensive, and  is  the  source  of  much  pleasure 


BOB  WIRES  WITH  ELECTRICAL  ATTACHMENT. 


and  enjoyment.  The  bent  wire  and  cord 
shown  in  the  picture  are  for  the  purpose  of 
raising  all  the  bob  wires  by  a  pull  from  the 
back  of  the  squabhouse,  so  that  the  birds  can 
go  out  for  their  exercise.  The  cord_is  released 
so  that  the  bobs  will  drop  and  be  in  position 
for  tripping  when  the  first  bird  comes  home. 

HOUSE  TO  HOUSE  CANVASS,  by  William 
H.  Woodruff.  As  we  have  no  very  large 
quantity  of  squabs,  our  method  has  been  to 
make  a  house-to-house  canvass  for  custom- 
ers. This  prevents  creating  demand  without 
supply,  as  advertising  would  do.  We  have 
sold  squabs  for  over  two  years  and  have  al- 
ways received  at  least  seventy  cents  a  pair 
to  private  trade.  We  shipped  a  dozen  to 
New  York  and  got  $2.55.  From  this  express 
charges  were  deducted.  The  best  plan,  es- 
pecially with  a  small  flock,  is  to  build  up  and 
hold  a  good  private  trade. 

SALT  BAKED  IN  CANS,  by  A.  L.  Thomp- 
son. I  take  a  common  empty  tin  fruit  can 
and  punch  holes  in  the  bottom  for  drainage, 
then  fill  with  salt,  and  dampen,  after  which 
I  put  in  the  oven  and  bake  hard.  You  can 
put  these  cans  in  any  place  in  the  squab- 
house  and  if  you  lay  them  on  the  side,  the 
pigeons  cannot  soil  the  salt.  One  end  of  the 
can  is  open,  the  other  end  closed. 


316 


APPENDIX  G 


MISS  DUNHAM'S  PROFIT-PAYING  SQUAB  PLANT. 


HOW  TO  CURE  SQUABS  IN  NEST  OF 
CANKER,  by  M.  C.  Martin.  It  is  a  well- 
known  fact  that  Venetian  Red  paint  is  one  of 
the  best  regulators  for  poultry  in  general. 
I  have  tried  this  on  squabs  repeatedly  and 
it  invariably  cures  the  canker  in  three  or 
four  days.  Have  some  Venetian  Red  paint 
in  the  squabhouse,  and  whenever  you  see  a 
pair  of  squabs  looking  sickly,  examine  the 
mouth.  If  you  find  a  cheesy  deposit,  take 


HOW  I  MAKE  MY 
SMALL  FLOCK  PAY 
WELL,  by  Mary  Dunham. 
I  bought  six  pairs  of  the 
best  Homers  in  October, 
1904.  After  studying 
them  and  breeding  them 
for  a  year  I  bought  twenty- 
four  pairs  more  in  Octo- 
ber, 1905.  In  June,  1908, 
I  bought  twelve  pairs  more 
and  in  October,  1908,  an- 
other twelve  pairs. 

All  of  my  birds  were 
bought  from  the  same 
source.  They  have  all 
kept  steadily  at  work. 
One  pair  has  raised  ten 
pairs  of  squabs  a  year  and 
there  are  others  which  al- 
most eq«al  them.  In  the 
fall  of  1907, 1  began  to  save 
the  squabs  from  the  best 
breeders.  I  had  to  keep 
them  in  the  house  with  my 
older  birds  because  I  had  no  other  pen  for 
them.  They  disturbed  the  breeding  pairs 
somewhat  but  the  following  spring  they 
mated  and  got  down  to  work. 

I  sell  all  the  squabs  I  can  raise  to  the  local 
marketman.  At  first  there  was  no  sale  for 
them  in  my  Connecticut  city,  except  in  the 
summer  when  the  wealthy  people  from  the 
larger  cities  were  sojourning  here,  but  the 
marketmen  bought  all  I  had  last  winter. 


a   pinch   of  the   paint  between    thumb    and  When  ready  for  market  my  squabs  weigh 

forefinger  and  drop  into  the  open  mouth.    Do       from  two  pounds  to  two  and  one-half  pounds 
this  morning  and  evening  for  three  or  four 
days  and  the  canker  is  gone. 

This  plan  may  be  used  with  old  birds,  but 
they  very  seldom  have  canker  and  are  more 
difficult  to  catch  twice  a  day,  but  with 


squabs  it  is  a  matter  of  only  a  few  minutes  to 
straighten  up  several  dozen  of  them. 

Venetian  Red  is  a  fine  regulator  and  may 
be  used  in  the  drinking  water  to  ward  off 
canker  but  to  cure  the  ailment  it  must  be 
administered  in  larger  quantities  as  explained 
above.  The  droppings  become  red,  showing 
that  the  paint  has  passed  completely  through 
the  alimentary  canal  and  cleansed  the  di- 
gestive system  of  impurities  collected  which 
have  caused  the  canker. 

Venetian  Red  is  a  powder  which  retails  in 
a  paint  store  for  five  to  ten  cents  a  pound, 
but  in  a  drug  store  you  may  be  charged 
fifty  cents  a  pound  for  it,  and  some  poultry 
remedies  have  it  in  fancy  package  style  at 
the  rate  of  a  dollar  or  more  a  pound. 

FLAXSEED  INSTEAD  OF  HEMP,  by  Paul 
Gosser.  I  feed  some  flaxseed  to  my  pigeons 
besides  hemp.  Flax  is  cheaper  and  the  pig- 
eons like  it  nearly  as  well  as  hemp.  My 
pigeons  like  lettuce  leaves  very  much.  In  the 
morning  I  throw  some  into  the  pens  and  at 
noon  they  are  all  eaten.  I  sell  all  my  squc.bs 
in  Pittsburg.  I  get  from  $3  to  $4.50  a  dozen 
for  them. 


pair.  They  are  white  and  fat  and  the 
dealer  has  complimented  me  about  them  many 
times.  I  find  the  business  very  interesting 
and  would  like  to  engage  in  it  more  extensively 
if  I  could  get  more  time  to  devote  to  the  birds 
but  it  is  impossible  to  do  so  at  present. 

I  am  often  praised  for  the  fine  appearance 
my  birds  make  when  out  in  the  flying  pen. 
Last  week  a  gentleman  told  me  my  little  house 
is  the  neatest  and  the  birds  the  finest  looking 
he  had  ever  seen. 

NO  NEED  TO  GRIND  PIGEON  MANURE, 
by  Harry  Howe.  Having  read  in  the  maga- 
zine the  different  methods  of  handling  pigeon 
manure  for  the  making  of  commercial  fer- 
tilizer, I  will  tell  you  the  result  of  my  own 
experience.  I  take  the  cleanings  and  then 
pack  them  in  barrels.  When  I  have  several 
barrels  of  them,  I  form  a  pile  outdoors  con- 
sisting of  a  layer  of  manure,  then  a  layer  of 
loam,  sprinkling  each  layer  with  air-slaked 
lime  until  it  shows  white.  Keep  on  until 
you  haye  used  all  the  manure  on  hand,  then 
cover  the  top  well  with  loam,  and  wet  the 
whole  pile.  After  a  few  days,  when  it  com- 
mences to  steam,  it  should  be  well  turned 
over,  repeating  the  turning  over  three  or  four 
times.  You  will  finally  have  a  fertilizer 
as  fine  as  sugar  which  can  be  thoroughly 
dried  and  bagged,  or  used  at  once.  This  for 
a  variety  of  crops  cannot  be  beaten. 


APPENDIX  G 


317 


WHY  I  PREFER 
SQUABS  TO  CHICKENS, 
by  Mrs.  Lizzie  A.  Trout.  I 

wish  to  keep  on  increasing 
my  flock  of  pigeons  as  I 
like  the  work  better  than 
raising  chickens.  I  have 
learned  that  if  one  would 
succeed  in  squab  raising  he 
must  like  it  and  by  so  do- 
ing acquaint  himself  with 
the  little  things  that  are  of 
great  value  to  the  success- 
ful squab  raiser.  The 
following  are  important 
points:  care  of  the  birds, 
what  to  feed,  how  to  feed 
and  when  to  feed. 

My  squabhouse  is  built 
on  the  slope  of  a  hill  facing 
the  south  and  as  this  is  a 
warm  and  pleasant  loca- 
tion I  do  not  have  frozen 
squabs  in  the  winter.  I 
give  them  tobacco  stems  to 
build  their  nests  and  by 
frequent  cleaning  give  no 
chance  for  the  lice  to  live  in 
my  squabhouse.  I  find  that 
to  give  a  variety  of  feed  is 
the  best.  A  good  mixture 
is  six  quarts  of  sifted 
cracked  corn  (not  too  fine, 
because  if  it  is  fine  it  takes 
out  much  of  the  meal 
from  the  corn,  which 
otherwise  would  help  to 
fatten  the  squabs),  six 
quarts  whole  wheat,  two 
quarts  buckwheat,  two 
quarts  Canada  peas  and  two  quarts  kaffir 
corn.  Every  other  morning  I  give  them  a 
few,  handfuls  of  millet  seed  and  twice  a  week 
hempseed.  I  think  this  is  a  good  mixture  for 
them.  I  also  keep  within  their  reach  char- 
coal, salt,  fine  oyster  shells  and  a  grit  of  which 
the  old  birds  are  fond.  Before  I  used  this 
coarse  grit,  I  noticed  that  a  few  of  my  hsns 


BLUE-BARRED  RACING  HOMER. 

A  beautiful  flyer  bred  by  Paul  F.  Miller  which  has  covered  five  hundred 
miles  in  one  day. 


of  time  to  feed  their  young  before  night.  I 
wash  my  fountain  and  give  my  birds  fresh 
water  twice  a  day  in  winter  and  three  times  a 
day  in  summer.  They  are  as  glad  for  the  nice 
fresh  spring  water  in  the  hot  summer  day  at 
noon  as  you  would  be  for  a  plate  of  ice-cream. 

As  to  my  choice  in  chicken  or  squab  raising, 
I  prefer  by  far  squab  raising.     There  is  not 


yari 
thir 


Id  prefer  being  out  in  my  outside  pen  or       half  the  work,  with  much  quicker  results  and 


ird,  and  were  in  a  constant  hunt  for  some- 
iing,  and  trying  to  pick  up  bits  of  gravel  and 
stone.  It  appeared  to  me  that  perhaps  a 
coarse  grit  might  be  a  help  to  these  birds  and  I 
find  it  did  the  work  well. 

I  always  try  not  to  have  left  over  any  feed, 
or  very  little,  until  the  next  feeding  time  so  I 
know  that  their  grain  will  be  sweet  and  clean. 
They  will  be  more  eager  for  their  feed.  I  do 
not  like  the  idea  of  throwing  feed  on  the  floor 
and  they  will  get  the  feed  more  or  less  dirty 
even  if  you  do  clean  the  floor  once  a  week.  I 
feed  in  a  box  six  feet  long,  two  feet  wide  and 
three  inches  high.  The  birds  cannot  scatter 
the  feed  in  this  way  very  much.  This  box  is 
large  enough  for  a  loft  of  fifty  pairs  as  they 
never  all  feed  at  the  same  time.  Feeding 
should  if  possible  always  be  at  the  same  hours, 
seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  four  o'clock 
in  the  evening.  This  will  give  the  birds  plenty 


feed  for  the  purse.  No  unruly  hens  to  contend 
with.  No  squabs  to  run  after  when  a  rain  is 
coming.  They  are  already  cared  for.  No 
lamp  to  fill  and  trim,  no  thermometer  to 
watch,  no  eggs  to  turn,  no  trays  to  change. 
The  old  birds  do  all  this  work  themselves.  No 
wind  to  blow  out  the  brooder  lamp  and  chill 
the  squabs  at  night.  All  this  you  must  con- 
tend with  if  you  want  to  raise  chickens. 

Feed  your  pigeons  the  right  kind  of  feed, 
give  them  plenty  of  fresh  water.  Then  they 
will  care  for  the  squabs  themselves  and  in 
four  weeks'  time  the  squabs  will  be  ready  for 
market.  There  is  a  field  for  prosperity  in 
squab  raising. 

When  President  Taft  started  on  his  1909 
trip,  he  was  given  a  banquet  by  the  Boston 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  One  line  in  the  menu 
was  roast  squabs,  two  thousand  in  number. 


318 


APPENDIX  G 


FIRST-CLASS  HOMERS,  SILVER  AND  SPLASH. 

Plymouth  Rook  Homer  stock  produces  squabs  which  sell  for  $3.59  to  $6  a 
dozen  in  Utah,  unplucked. 


SQUAB  PIE,  by  James  Y.  Egbert.  Dress, 
draw  and  singe  four  squabs.  Stuff  them  with 
the  chopped  livers,  hearts  and  gizzards  and 
fine  bread  crumbs,  mixed  with  chopped  pars- 
ley, a  large  lump  of  butter,  pepper  and  salt. 
Run  a  small  skewer  through  the  body  of  each, 
fastening  the  wings  to  the  sides.  Cover  the 
bottom  of  your  bake-dish  with  thin  strips  of 
ham.  Season  with  chopped  parsley,  pepper 
and  salt.  Over  these  lay  the  squabs.  Be- 
tween every  two  squabs  put  the  yolk  of  a 
hard-boiled  egg,  and  three  or  four  in  the 
center.  Cover  the  squabs  with  a  thick 
brown  gravy.  Cover  this  pie  with  puff-paste 
and  bake  in  a  moderate  oven  for  an  hour  and 
a  half. 

BRAISED  SQUAB.  Clean,  wash  carefully. 
Put  a  large  olive  in  the  body  of  each.  Bind 
legs  and  wings  neatly  to  the  sides  of  the 
birds.  Fry  six  or  eight  slices  of  fat  salt  pork 
in  the  frying-pan  until  crisp.  Strain  the 
fat  back,  lay  in  the  squabs  and  roll  them  over 
and  over  in  the  boiling  grease  until  seared 
on  all  sides.  Take  them  up  and  keep  hot. 
Add  a  tablespoonful  of  butter  to  the  hot  fat, 
and  fry  an  onion,  sliced,  in  it.  Lay  the 
squabs  on  the  grating  of  the  roaster.  Pour 
the  boiling  fat  and  onion  over  them.  Add 
a  cupful  of  stock.  Cover  and  cook  steadily 
for  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  When  the 
squabs  are  done  wash  with  butter,  dredge  and 
brown.  Remove  to  a  hot  dish  and  make  the 
gravy.  Serve  with  currant  jelly. 


STARTED  SMALL, 
GREW  UP  BIG  IN  UTAH^ 
by  Walter  Bramwell.  Two 
years  ago  I  purchased 
twenty  pairs  of  the  best 
Homers.  Being  cashier  of 
a  small  bank  in  a  country 
town,  much  of  my  time  in 
the  morning  and  afternoon 
was  unoccupied.  I  sent  for 
the  birds  out  of  curiosity 
and  for  recreation  and 
study.  They  immediately 
impressed  me  as  being  very 
interesting.  My  little  flock 
commenced  operations 
shortly  after  arrival  and  as 
they  rapidly  increased  in 
number  my  interest  in- 
creased in  proportion. 

It  required  little  time  for 
me  to  discover  that  my 
Homers,  properly  handled, 
were  money  makers,  and  to 
that  end  I  have  built  tip  a 
fairly  large  business,  hav- 
ing now  more  than  twenty- 
five  hundred  breeders. 

At  first  my  plant  was  in 
a  small  town  but  in  the 
meantime  I  have  moved  to 
the  largest  and  best  city  in 
the  State. 

The  market  conditions 
at  that  time  were  very  much 
undeveloped  and  when  I  would  mention  squabs 
there  would  be  a  round  of  laughter  from  my 
friends.  However,  to-day,  through  persistent 
effort  and  the  production  of  first-class  squabs, 
the  demand  is  greater  than  I  can  supply. 

During  the  present  winter  I  will  enlarge  my 
plant  to  four  or  five  thousand  breeders,  and 
later  on  will  be  prepared  to  furnish  all  squabs 
desired  by  my  patrons.  My  customers  con- 
sist of  cafe,  club,  hotel  and  railroad  officials, 
who  buy  the  best,  and  whose  patronage  is  very 
satisfactory  to  me,  because  I  am  not  compelled 
to  sell  to  commission  men  and  can  thus  de- 
mand a  larger  price  for  my  product. 

The  price  in  this  State  is  from  $3.50  to  $6  per 
dozen,  undressed. 

The  future  for  the  business  here  appeals  to 
me  as  being  a  very  bright  one  and  I  feel  con- 
fident that  my  business  stunt  of  squabs  will 
reward  me  handsomely. 

The  business  is  attractive  and  profitable  be- 
yond expectation,  provided  the  proper  atten- 
tion and  skill  are  exercised  that  would  be  de- 
manded in  other  lines  where  success  is  at- 
tained. I  am  delighted  with  my  birds  and 
business  and  trust  all  who  are  or  may  be  in- 
terested in  the  same  line  will  have  their  efforts 
crowned  with  success. 

PECULIAR  COLOR  RESULT,  by  C.  C. 
O'Neal .  About  the  young  birds  from  the  cross 
of  two  Carneaux  males  with  two  white  Homer 
females,  generally  they  are  of  solid  black  plu- 
mage, sometimes  dark-shaded  checkers. 


APPENDIX  G 


319 


HOW  A  BIG  OHIO 
PLANT  SHIPS  SQUABS, 
by  F.  J.  Bunce.  On  Monday 
morning  while  the  attend- 
ant is  watering,  and  before 
the  birds  are  fed,  the  rounds 
of  the  pens  are  made  and 
all  of  the  squabs  that  have 
dropped  to  the  floor  over 
Sunday  are  placed  in  a  crate, 
and  these  with  enough  more 
to  make  six  dozen,  are  re- 
moved to  the  killing  room 
for  the  early  morning  start. 
These  are  enough  squabs  to 
run  the  pickers  several  hours 
and  give  the  breeders  plenty 
of  time  to  feed  the  young 
before  more  squabs  are  re- 
quired for  the  killing  room. 

There    is    no    set    age   at 
which    a    squab   should    be 
marketed.     Some    will  be 
ready    at  three    and  a  half 
weeks,    some    at    four   and 
some  not  until  five  weeks  of 
age.     If  the  squab  on  the 
nest  is  solid  and  plump  and 
is  full  feathered  under  the 
wing,    it    is    ready  for  the 
market.     Do  not  hurry  them  off  the  nest  un- 
less it  be  absolutely  necessary  to  fill  an  order, 
as  a  few  days  longer  on  the  nest  may  make 
ten-pound   squabs   of  birds   that  would  not 
weigh  more  than  eight  pounds  if  dressed  too 
soon. 

We  do  not  suspend  the  squabs  from  a  string 
to  pick  them,  as  the  most  of  the  large  plants 
do,  but  pick  them  in  the  hand.  Our  picker 
has  always  contended  that  he  could  pick  a 
squab  while  the  other  picker  was  hanging  his 
up  and  taking  it  down. 

Place  the  left  hand  around  the  base  of  the 
wings  after  drawing  them  together  and  draw 
the  head  back  between  the  thumb  and  first 
finger.  Insert  the  killing-knife  well  back  in 
the  mouth  and  drawit  sharply  up  and  forward, 
twisting  the  knife  as  you  remove  it  from  the 
mouth.  Care  should  be  taken  not  to  inserl 
the  knife  too  deeply  into  the  brain,  as  the  bird 
will  bleed  too  freely  and  cause  the  skin  to  set 
before  the  feathers  have  been  removed. 

As  soon  as  the  incision  has  been  made,  re- 
move the  wing  and  tail-feathers  first,  follow- 
ing this  with 
of  the  body. 

The  squabs  are  then  placed  in  the  buckets 
to  remove  the  animal  heat.  When  the  buck- 
ets become  full,  the  bodies  of  the  squabs  are 
washed  off,  the  blood  is  removed  from  the 
mouth  and  the  filth  from  the  feet,  and  they  are 
placed  in  another  and  larger  tub,  where  they 
remain  until  it  is  time  to  pack  them. 

We  wish  to  say  here  that  we  never  leave 
the  squabs  in  the  tanks  over  night,  if  we  can 
avoid  it,  as  they  are  apt  to  get  soft.  If  un- 
avoidable, ice  the  water  heavily,  but  always 
do  your  best  to  get  them  out  on  the  first  tram 
for  their  destination. 


ing  a 
ing  this  with  the  neck,  and  then  the  balance 


EXTERIOR  OF  ONE  OF  THIS  OHIO  PLANTS  HOUSES. 


Never  use  a  box  for  packing  your  squabs  as 
some  will  recommend,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  the  express  messengers  will  up-end  the 
package,  also  pile  other  boxes  on  your  ship- 
ment, and  when  it  reaches  your  market,  your 
commission  man  reports  it  arrived  in  bad 
order  and  you  are  given  a  nice  little  cut  in  your 
remittance. 

We  use  a  small  keg  for  small  orders  and  a 
cracker  barrel  for  larger  shipments.  First 
fill  your  barrel  or  keg  with  water  and  let  it 
stand  until  it  drains  out  to  swell  it,  then  line 
it  with  a  good  grade  of  white  parchment  paper 
to  make  it  air-tight.  This  also  helps  the  ap- 
pearance of  your  package.  Before  placing 
any  ice  in  the  package  bore  a  small  hole  in  the 
bottom  of  the  barrel  to  drain  off  the  water 
which  would  gather  from  the  melting  of  the 
ice.  Place  a  large  scoopful  of  finely  cracked 
ice  in  the  bottom  of  the  barrel,  then  place  in 
the  barrel  in  very  nice  order  a  layer  of  squabs, 
a  thin  layer  of  ice  and  another  layer  of  squabs, 
repeating  until  barrel  is  three-fourths  full. 
Then  fill  to  edge  with  ice  cracked  to  about  the 
size  of  a  man's  fist.  Fold  the  balance  of  your 
parchment  paper  over  the  top,  remove  the 
hoop,  place  a  piece  of  burlap  over  the  barrel, 
replace  the  hoop  and  drive  down  in  place, 
holding  it  in  place  with  small  lath  nails. 
Fasten  your  express  tag  to  a  strong  cord  pr 
wire  and  run  through  the  burlap,  fastening 
same  securely. 

Question:  I  have  bought  a  set  of  steel 
figures  to  number  leg  bands  but  the  figure  9 
is  missing.  Answer;  To  make  figure  9  hold 
the  figure  6  die  upside  down.  None  of  these 
sets  has  both  a  9  and  a  6.  One  die  serves  for 
both. 


320 


APPENDIX  G 


FLYING  PEN  WITH  BOB  WIRES. 

The  small  holes  guarded  by  the  bobs  can  be  seen  at  the  top  of  the  flying  pen. 
"he  pigeons  cannot  get  out  unless  the  bobs  are  raised.    They  can  enter  when- 


ever they  please  by  pushing  back  the  bobs. 


TWIGS  ARE  GOOD  FOR  NESTING 
MATERIAL,  by  James  Y.  Egbert.  I  have 
tried  hay,  straw,  pine  needles,  leaves  and 
twigs  for  nesting  material.  The  birds  will  use 
twigs  in  preference  to  any  other  material, 
building  a  neat,  compact  nest  lined  with  a  few 
wisps  of  hay  or  straw.  I  cut  the  twigs  into 
five  or  six-inch  lengths  and  place  them  in  a 
berry  crate,  then  after  the  squabs  are  taken 
from  the  nest  I  clean  the  twigs  and  replace 
them  in  the  crate.  In  this  way,  the  pigeons 
use  the  twigs  over  and  over  again  and  the 
breeder  does  not  have  to  supply  so  much  new 
nesting  material. 

I  suppose  fhat  on  the  seashore,  where 
Homer  pigeons  originated,  they  used  twigs 
lined  with  dry  grass  in  their  nest  building. 

I  find  it  is  a  good  idea,  in  preparing  my 
garden,  to  plant  a  few  rows  of  sunflowers,  and 
in  the  odd  corners  or  along  the  border 
scattered  seeds  may  be  sown.  In  this  way 
a  squab  raiser  can  have  all  the  sunflower 
seeds  he  needs  for  hi-  pigeons  at  a  trifling  cost. 
Pigeons  are  very  fond  of  these  seeds  and  if 
a  breeder  raises  his  own  the  feed  bill  is  cut 
down  just  so  much.  Sunflowers  require 
little  cultivation  and  will  grow  and  thrive  in 
almost  any  location. 

Question:  Are  squabs  ever  scalded  before 
plucking?  Answer:  Yes,  but  it  is  not  neces- 
sary, nor  do  the  dealers  want  them  scalded. 
They  should  be  dry-picked. 


iT!lIiNYi^lRipERN?l; 

by   P.   A.    Heiermann.     I 

have  been  raising  squabs 
for  nearly  seven  years  and 
have  found  it  a  good  pay- 
ing business.  I  started  with 
one  pair  of  common  pig- 
eons. After  having  them 
a  few  months  and  learning 
their  habits,  I  bought  ten 
pairs  of  good  Homers. 
Their  squabs  were  much 
larger  than  the  common 
pigeon  squabs.  I  then  be- 
gan to  save  all  of  the  largest 
squabs  and  banded  them 
so  as  not  to  in  breed,  and 
numbered  the  bands  and 
kept  a  record  of  them.  At 
present  I  am  getting  from 
$3  to  $5  a  dozen  for  my 
Homer  squabs  dressed, 
according  to  size,  but  at 
wholesale  I  get  $3.50  a 
dozen  straight  through. 

I  sell  most  of  my  squabs 
at  retail,  and  then  cannot 
supply  all  my  orders. 

The  city  in  whi,h  I  live 
has  a  population  of  about 
sixty  thousand  and  I  have 
a  home  market- for  all  the 
squabs  I  wish  to  put  out. 
My  squab  plant  is  on  the 
car  line  and  can  be  reached 
from  all  parts  of  the  city. 
I  never  have  donated  any  squabs  to  get 
customers,  but  at  first  when  I  had  no  market 
for  them  I  telephoned  parties  whom  I  thought 
would  want  them  and  I  soon  found  places  to 
sell.  When  I  got  a  new  customer  I  always 
gave  him  a  few  of  my  cards,  and  by  so  doing  I 
soon  built  up  a  large  trade,  as  a  satisfied  cus- 
tomer is  the  best  advertisement. 

I  feed  wheat,  cracked  corn,  peas,  kaffir 
corn,  millet,  hempseed  and  other  different 
kinds  of  grain,  but  I  always  keep  changing  so 
as  not  to  feed  one  kind  too  long.  I  feed  three 
times  a  day  in  long  troughs,  and  do  not  use 
any  self-feeders,  but  in  the  moulting  season  I 
do  not  feed  so  much.  I  always  keep  plenty 
of  fresh  water  before  them  at  all  times,  also 
grit,  oyster  shells,  charcoal  and  rock  salt. 

It  costs  me  about  $1.25  a  year  to  feed  a  pair 
of  breeding  Homers. 

Question:  Can  you  tell  me  how  it  comes 
that  one  of  the  pairs  of  blue  checkers  has 
an  almost  white-feathered  squab?  Answer: 
Colored  Homers  do  not  breed  true  to  color. 
Blue  checkers  may  breed  blue  bars,  or  blue 
checkers,  or  any  other  color.  A  white  young- 
ster from  colored-plumaged  birds  is  rare,  like 
a  white  calf  from  a  black  bull  and  black  cow, 
and  is  generally  called  a  throw-back,  or  re- 
version to  one  of  several  constituent  types. 
The  white  Homers  breed  true  to  color  as  a 
rule. 


APPENDIX  G 


32i 


WHAT  ONE  PAIR  OF 
CARNEAUX  PRODUCED, 
by  Mrs.  K.  M.  White. 
The  first  of  May,  1908,  I 
bought  a  pair  of  Carneaux. 
In  fourteen  months  I  bred 
forty  from  that  one  pair. 
I  send  you  two  films  show- 
ing me  feeding  my  pigeons. 
In  my  story  you  will  notice 
that  I  say  I  fed  some  of  the 
squabs  after  taking  them 
away  from  the  parent 
birds.  I  did  this  by  chew- 
ing up  soda  crackers  and 
then  moistening  them  in 
my  own  mouth  with 
malted  milk.  Then  I  held 
the  squab  to  my  mouth 
and  fed  the  bird  in  the 
natural  way.  Any  squabs 
may  be  readily  nourished 
in  this  manner.  As  they 
grew  older,  I  gave  them 
grain  by  hand. 

In  the  upper  picture 
Mrs.  White  is  feeding  two 
squabs  in  the  natural  way. 
In  the  lower  picture  she  is 
feeding  two  squabs  out  of 
her  hand.  Her  experience 
with  one  pair  of  Carneaux 
is  quite  a  jolt  to  those  who 
are  afraid  of  inbreeding. 
Starting  with  only  one 
pair  of  Carneaux,  she  has 
done  more  in  fourteen 
months  than  another 
might  with  six  pairs  in  the 
same  period ,  having  turned 
out  a  good-sized  flock  of 
two-score  birds.  Of  course 
she  could  have  a  c  c  o  m- 
plished  nothing  without 
inbreeding.  It  was  a  1 1 
inbreeding ,  except  the 
young  bred  by  the  orig- 
inal pair.  Her  flock  are 
fine,  large  and  rugged 
birds.  This  is  the  record 
of  one  pair  of  good  Car- 
neaux in  competent  hands. 

DELAWARE  HOTELS 
PAYING  $4.50  A  DOZEN, 
by  N.  H.  Case.  I  can  sell 
my  four-weeks-old  squabs 
faster  than  I  can  raise 
them.  There  are  three  large  hotels  in  my 
nearest  town  in  this  State  (Delaware)  whose 
proprietors  all  say  they  will  give  me  $4.50  a 
dozen,  for  as  many  as  I  can  raise.  They  want 
them  killed  and 'bled.  They  offer  me  this 
price  for  both  winter  and  summer.  Each 
hotel  keeper  says  he  can  handle  from  two  to 
two  and  one-half  dozens  a  day,  so  it  looks  as 
though  there  ought  to  be  money  in  them — 
no  expressage  and  payment  on  delivery. 


MRS.  WHITE  AND  CARNEAUX. 


I  am  sure  there  is  a  fine  opening  here  fo_- 
squabs  as  San  Antonio  (Texas)  is  a  city  of 
100,000  population  and  nothing  of  the  kind 
here.  I  never  have  seen  anything  but 
common  squabs  here  and  very  few  of  them. 
A  friend,  Mr.  Hobbs,  is  working  in  a  near- 
by country  town,  and  he  says  they  are  al- 
ways ringing  up  from  San  Antonio  asking 
if  they  can  find  any  squabs. — J.  W.  Mann, 


322 


APPENDIX  G 


AIR  FOR  THESE  NORTH  CAROLINA  PIGEONS. 


CANADA  COTE  BUILT  OF  COTTON 
CLOTH,  by  F.  V.  Dickson.  It  mav  be  of  in- 
terest to  your  readers  to  hear  something  about 
a  Canadian  squab  plant. 

Last  fall  I  tried  the  experiment  of  building  a 
squabhouse  with  cotton  walls,  two  stories  in 
height.  Ordinary  cotton,  at  ten  cents  per 
yard,  .was  used.  This  was  tacked  to  the  up- 
right scantlings,  which  were  set  at  a  proper 
distance  to  suit  the  width  of  the  cotton.  Poul- 
try netting  was  put  on  outside  of  the  cotton. 
On  the  east  side,  from  which  direction  come 
our  prevailing  high  winds,  another  thickness 
of  cotton  was  put  on.  This  house  was  cheap 
to  build,  and  is  light,  dry,  and  airy.  It  is 
cold,  but  I  have  as  vet  seen  no  harm  resulting 
from  that  cause.  A  number  of  my  birds  have 
been  occupying  it  during  the  past  winter,  and 
they  have  done  as  well,  and  raised  as  many 
squabs,  as  any  of  my  other  birds.  At  present 
the  flock  consists  of  about  three  hundred  and 
sixty  pairs  of  birds.  For  the  squabs  I  get  $4 
a  dozen,  the  buyer  paying  the  express  charges. 

Question:  What,  if  any,  is  the  difference 
between  the  squab-breeding  Homer  and  what 
is  generally  called  the  Carrier  pigeon?  If  the 
Homer  is  not  the  same  as  the  pigeon  generally 
used  for  long-distance  flights,  can  it  be  trained 
for  such  flights?  Answer:  There  is  no  dif- 
ference between  the  squab-breeding  Homer 
and  the  message-carrying  pigeon.  A  carrier 
pigeon  is  a  Homer  which  has  been  trained. 
There  is  a  variety  of  pigeons  known  as  English 
Carriers,  but  these  are  not  used  for  message 
carrying.  Everybody  breeding  squabs  from 
Homers  can  fly  the  young  which  he  is  raising. 


NORTH  CAROLINA 
SQUABS  IN  OPEN  AIR,  by 
Tulius  A.  Caldwell,  M.D. 
We  have  been  experiment- 
ing with  twenty-five  pairs 
of  the  best  Homers.  We 
put  them  in  a  wire  pen  24 
feet  x  12  feet  x  12  feet  built 
against  an  old  house  whose 
roof  projected  out  about 
five  feet.  This  afforded 
some  protection  from  the 
weather.  I  send  you  a 
sketch  to  show  you  the 
idea  more  in  detail.  Find- 
ing the  work  a  pleasure  as 
well  as  profitable,  even  in 
such  an  elementary  manner 
as  this,  I  decided  to  build  a 
unit  squabhouse  and  it  is 
now  built.  I  am  buying 
some  Carneaux  to  try  also. 


HORSE  RADISH  AND 
SPLIT  PEAS,  by  Edward 
Gerhard.  A  good  tonic  for 
pigeons  is  horse  radish. 
Plant  it  close  up  to  the  fly- 
ing pen  so  the  birds  can 
get  at  the  leaves  to  eat 
them.  They  are  very  fond 
of  them.  I  feed  my  pig- 
eons split  peas,  which  they  enjoy.  These 
peas  do  not  cost  me  very  much.  1  get  them 
for  seventy-five  cents  a  bushel.  It  is  the 
cheapest  feed  that  I  buy.  With  wheat  at 
$1.20  a  bushel,  it  does  not  pay  to  feed_  very 
much  wheat.  I  am  raising  squabs  weighing 
from  twelve  ounces  to  sixteen  ounces  apiece, 
with  the  help  of  my  split  peas.  These  squabs 
make  the  finest  eating  any  one  can  have 
placed  before  him 

ONE  YEAR'S  WORK,  by  Ward  Edwards. 
One  year  ago  this  month  I  purchased  four 
pairs  of  the  best  Homers.  I  now  have  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  pigeons  in  all.  Of 
course  they  are  not  all  old  enough  to  raise 
yet,  but  if  they  continue  to  raise  as  fast,  by 
another  year  I  will  have  over  a  thousand.  I 
should  have  bought  more  breeders  and  not 
had  to  wait  this  long  for  them  to  multiply. 
I  have  followed  the  directions  in  Rice's 
Manual  very  closely  and  had  no  trouble  with 
my  flock.  I  have  kept  close  track  of  my 
matings  and  have  had  little  or  no  trouble 
of  inbreeding.  I  sell  many  squabs  to  private 
residences  and  although  raising  to  multiply 
have  made  a  nice  little  sum  along  with  it. 

Question:  Is  rye  a  good  food  for  pigeons? 
Answer:  If  cheap  and  pure,  it  is  useful  in 
connection  with  the  other  grains,  but  most 
rye  contains  ergot,  or  false  rye,  which  acts  as 
a  mild  poison,  harmful  to  both  pigeons  and 
poultry.  The  ergot  grains  are  larger  than  the 
rye  grains.  When  you  buy  rye,  look  at  the 
grains  and  if  they  are  not  uniform  in  size  and 
color,  don't  buy. 


APPENDIX  G 


323 


FLOCK  OF  GOOD 
HOMERS,  by  Leroy 
Wiles.  The  two  squabs 
in  the  picture  are  Homer 
squabs.  The  father  is  a 
large  red  checker  and  the 
mother  is  a  black  Homer. 
These  squabs  weighed  one 
pound  apiece,  wnen  four 
weeks  old.  They  are 
black  checkers.  Both  of 
them  turned  out  to  be 
males.  One  is  now  mated 
and  has  a  nest  with  two 
eggs.  I  banded  the  one  that 
is  mated  with  one  of  the 
bands  of  the  usual  size 
and  it  would  just  go 
around  his  leg,  so  you  can 
see  what  a  leg  he  has. 
The  little  boy  holding  the 
nestbowl  is  my  brother 
He  is  nine  years  old.  I 
am  nineteen.  I  think  that 
he  is  going  to  be  just  like 
me  in  regard  to  pigeons,  as 
he  likes  to  go  out  with  me 
and  watch  them  eat  and 
feed  their  young  ones.  I 
have  some  more  squabs 
growing  up  and  I  think 
they  will  be  fully  as  large 
as  the  two  in  the  picture. 

I  SELL  SQUABS  FOR 
FIVE  CENTS  AN  OUNCE, 
by  W.  E.  Blakslee.  I  have 
a  way  for  keeping  young 
squabs  in  the  nests  made 
around  on  the  ground.  I 
nail  four  pieces  of  board  a 
foot  long  into  box  shape  and  set  it  over  the 
nest.  This  keeps  the  squabs  quiet  and  the 
old  birds  have  free  access  to  them  all  the 
time.  _The  young  birds  cannot  get  over  the 
top  of  it,  and  the  old  ones  can  easily  get  into 
it  for  feeding  them  any  time. 

I  find  it  a  simple  matter  to  work  up  more 
trade  than  one  wants  if  you  go  at  it  in  the 
right  way.  I  adopt  the  plan  of  selling  my 
birds  by  weight — five  cents  per  ounce.  When 
asked  what  my  price  is,  and  I  tell  them  this 
they  exclaim  that  they  can  buy  all  the  squabs 
they  want  for  forty-five  cents  apiece.  There 
are  many  flocks  of  common  pigeons  in  this 
surrounding  country.  I  don't  run  down  the 
birds  that  they  are  buying,  nor  do  I  stand 
and  argue  the  question  with  them.  I  ask 
them  to  weigh  the  birds  they  buy  and  see 
what  my  price  would  make  them  cost.  They 
find  they  are  getting  more  six  and  seven- 
ounce  birds  than  anything  else  and  at  my 
price  they  would  cost  only  thirty  and  thirty- 
five  cents  instead  of  forty-five  cents.  They 
come  back  to  me  and  want  to  see  my  squabs 
and  are  astonished  at  the  size  of  them.  They 
find  I  have  squabs  instead  of  jack-knives  to 
sell.  Most  of  my  squabs  are  eleven  and 
twelve  ounces.  I  have  some  eight  and  nine 


MY  BROTHER  AND  MY  BIG  HOMER  SQUABS. 


fnd  I  have  a  good  many  twelve  to  fourteen, 
have  no  trouble  in  making  customers  under- 
stand that  they  are  getting  meat  for  their 
money — for  they  have  proved  the  fact  to 
their  own  satisfaction.  When  you  have  the 
right  squabs,  your  biggest  trouble  is  loo 
many  wanting  them. 

Question:  Do  you  know  of  any  way  to 
dispose  of  pigeon  wings?  It  seems  to  me 
that  there  must  be  some  concern  which  buys 
them.  Answer:  The  wings  of  the  colored 
Homers  are  not  used  to  any  extent  on  women's 
hats,  but  the  wings  of  white  Homers  or  white 
pigeons  of  any  kind  are  in  active  demand  by 
milliners.  Wholesale  milliners  try  to  buy 
these  for  ten  cents  apiece.  They  sell  them 
to  the  retailers  for  thirty  cents  to  fifty  cents 
apiece,  and  when  the  milliner  makes  up  the 
hat  for  her  customer  she  gets  from  $1  to  J2 
for  the  white  wing.  I  would  advise  you  to 
sell  your  white  wings  for  at  least  twenty-five 
cents  each. 

Question:  One  young  Homer  that  hatched 
had  a  great  deal  of  white  in  it,  although  the 
old  ones  were  blue.  Is  this  liable  to  hap- 
pen any  time?  Answer:  Yes.  The  colored 
Homers  do  not  breed  true  to  color. 


324 


APPENDIX  G 


WIRE  NAILS  INSTEAD  OF  CLEATS. 

Question:  I  would  like  to  inquire  if  stale 
bread  crumbled  into  small  pieces  about  the 
size  of  corn  would  be  good  to  feed  to  squabs. 
I  do  not  mean  exclusively  but  at  times.  I 
have  a  large  bakery  and  have  considerable 
stale  bread  which  I  thought  I  might  be  able 
to  use  to  good  advantage  in  connection  with 
the  squab  business.  Answer:  Yes. 

Question:  Do  pigeons  breed  as  well  on  the 
seashore  as  inland?  Answer:  I  think  so. 
The  species  originated  in  the  cliffs  on  the 
seashore,  according  to  the  ancient  writers.  I 
have  seen  a  fine  flock  of  squab  breeders  at 
Buzzards  Bay,  where  they  fly  out  over  the 
salt  marshes  and  get  a  good  deal  of  their 
living  from  small  snails,  eaten  shell  and  all. 

Question:  Can  peat  moss  be  used  f9r 
nesting  material?  Answer:  Yes,  and  it  will 
drive  away  lice.  It  is  good  for  nests  for 
setting  hens  (fowls)  for  the  same  reason. 
An  attempt  was  made  in  Indiana  to  use  this 
peat  moss  for  upholstering  furniture  but  this 
did  not  work  very  well.  It  is  used  for 
bedding  horses. 


ONE  DOLLAR  FOR  EVERY  LOUSE 
FOUND  ON  MY  BIRDS,  by  F.  Beltran. 
As  I  believe  in  exchanging  ideas,  I  am 
going  to  tell  you  about  my  last  arrange- 
ment of  nestboxes  such  as  I  draw  them 
here.  The  whole  thing  is  plain.  The 
bottoms  rest  on  only  four  nails,  two  on 
each  side,  that  is  all.  My  aim  has  al- 
ways been  to  have  not  the  smallest  hiding 
place  for  mites,  etc.,  and  when  I  could  not 
avoid  having  them,  then  to  have  them 
movable  so  as  to  be  sure  to  reach  the  pests, 
easily,  whenever  I  wanted.  Everything 
inside  of  my  house  is  absolutely  smooth 
and  affords  no  hiding  place  for  those  pests 
that  live  in  the  cracks  here  in  our  Mexi- 
can climate.  The  lice  which  live  on  the 
bodies  of  the  birds  would  be  also  a  thing 
of  the  past  in  every  house  of  mine,  if  only 
the  man  in  charge  would  keep  as  close  a 
watch  on  the  squab-raising  pens  as  I  keep 
on  the  breeding  stock  and  raising  pens, 
where  I  would  give  a  dollar  for  every 
louse  found  on  the  bodies  of  the  birds. 

SET  YOUR  STANDARD  HIGH.     It  is 

not  merely  the  birds,  it  is  the  intelli- 
gence and  skill  behind  them.  In  buying 
breeding  stock,  whether  pigeons  or  poul- 
try, of  a  man  you  are  not  buying  simply 
his  birds  but  you  buy  his  knowledge,  skill 
and  experience.  He  has  attained  a  cer- 
tain standard  which  may  be  high  or  low, 
as  you  can  judge  for  yourself  by  reading 
what  he  says,  and  knowing  his  record  in 
the  business.  All  Homers  and  all  Carneaux 
are  not  by  any  means  alike.  The  best 
ones  are  furnished  by  the  men  of  most 
skill  and  intelligence,  because  they  have 
set  their  standard  high  and  do  business 
accordingly.  The  man  of  no  standing  may 
offer  to  sell  you  birds  at  half  the  price  of 
the  man  whose  standing  is  high,  and  it  almost 
invariably  happens  that  such  birds  indeed  are 
found  to  be  worth  about  half  price,  because 
the  offering  of  them  at  a  low  price  is  a  confes- 
sion of  the  advertiser  that  he  has  not  a  high 
standard  and  is  not  making  his  birds  indis- 
pensable, but  is  satisfied  to  take  the  trade  of 
people  who  want  the  cheapest  they  can  buy, 
and  such  people  are  satisfied  with  poor  stock. 

I  have  seen  something  in  the  magazine 
about  high  altitudes  and  dry  climates.  Up 
in  this  part  of  Canada  it  is  very  dry  and  we 
have  to  make  our  pigeons  breed  on  the  ground 
so  as  to  get  the  dampness,  for  the  eggs  will 
dry  out  if  they  are  up  on  the  wall  in  nest- 
boxes.  So  we  do  not  put  more  than  twenty 
pairs  of  pigeons  in  a  house  twelve  by  twelve, 
and  we  let  them  build  nests  on  the  ground. — • 
J.  H.  Smith,  Saskatchewan. 

Question:  Are  pigeon  wings  salable?  An- 
swer: The  wings  of  colored  Homers  are  not 
used  to  any  extent  on  women's  hats,  but  the 
white  wings  are  readily  salable  to  wholesale 
milliners. 


APPENDIX  G 


325 


HOW  TO  TAKE  PIG- 
EON PICTURES.  Almost 
everybody  has  a  camera 
these  days  and  with  a  small 
one,  costing  two  dollars,  it 
is  possible  to  take  excel- 
lent pigeon  pictures.  The 
film  can  be  enlarged  to  any 
size. 

Choose  a  day  when  the 
sun  is  out  and  take  them 
in  the  flying  pen  when 
they  are  walking  around 
on  the  ground.  Do  not 
take  them  while  they  are 
on  the  perches  because 
then  they  are  drawn  out 
of  shape.  They  strike  a 
natural  and  handsome 
pose  when  they  are  on  the 
ground.  You  should  sit  on 
a  board  on  the  ground. 
Hold  your  camera  not 
over  six  inches  from  the 
ground  and  point  it  at  the 
birds.  Have  a  pocketful 
of  hempseed  and  throw  it 
out  to  the  birds  in  front  of 
the  camera  from  four  to 
eight  feet  from  where  you 
are  sitting.  Do  not  snap 
the  birds  while  they  are 
pushing  and  scrambling 
for  the  hempseed  but  wait 
until  they  have  eaten  and 
raised  their  heads  expect- 
antly as  if  looking  for 
more.  This  is  the  time  to 
press  the  button.  Try  to 
get  a  group  of  the  birds  in 
this  manner,  showing  six 
or  eight  birds.  The  best 
view  of  a  pigeon  is  obtained 
broad  side,  but  sometimes 
an  excellent  picture  is  ob- 
tained from  the  front  or  even  from  the  back, 
such  a  view  showing  the  width  of  the  shoul- 
ders. Photographs  showing  squabs  four 
weeks  old  alive  or  dressed  or  novelty  pic- 
tures like  .the  one  on  this  page  are  always  of  common  o'nes. 
interesting. 

Question:     I  have  been  contemplating  for 

COMMON  SQUABS  TOO  SMALL,  by  Charles  two  or  three  months  trying  the  squab  business. 
F.  Manahan.  I  watch  and  study  the  ways  I  wrote  to  a  commission  house  in  Chicago  to 
and  habits  of  my  Homers  whenever  I  have  give  me  prices  on  squabs  and  they  quoted  me 
time.  I  live  near  a  summer  resort  in  Mary-  $5.50  per  dozen  for  eight-pounds-or-oyer 
land  in  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains  and  have  squabs.  I  also  wrote  to  another  commission 
a  small  truck  farm  and  haul  my  vegetables  house  about  the  sale  of  squabs  and  they  sent 
to  these  cottages  and  hotels.  I  think  I  can  me  a  price  list  in  which  it  priced  squabs  at. 
sell  the  squabs  from  several  hundred  pairs  $2.50  and  $3  a  dozen  for  choice  squabs,  and 
after  I  get  them  introduced,  as  there  is  nothing  as  low  as  $1.50  a  dozen.  Answer:  If  you 
in  this  neighborhood  but  common  pigeons.  were  to  go  into  a  hat  store  and  offer  a  man 
Where  I  sell  them,  the  people  say  they  are  $1  for  a  hat  which  you  happened  to  see  and 


GRANDPA,  BABY  AND  SQUABS. 

I  send  a  photograph  of  myself  and  grandchild.  Miss  Janet  Pfister,  eighteen 
months  old,  squabs  just  three  weeks  old.— Gottlieb  Pfister,  New   York. 


the  scales  and  the  two  weighed  just  a  pound. 
I  then  put  one  of  the  Homers  on  and  it 
weighed  fifteen  ounces,  so  the  Homer  squab 
weighed  only  one  ounce  less  than  the  pair 


the  finest  they  have  ever  bought.     On  one  liked,  and  he  should  laugh  and  tell  you  you 

occasion  I  did  not  have  enough  and  told  the  could  not  have  it  for  $1 ,  that  the  regular  price 

person  that  I  could  get  a  pair  of  a  neighbor  was  $3,  would  you  be  disappointed  because 

to  make  out  the  number.     After  I  had  the  he  would  not  take  your  $1  and  give  you  the 

head  and  feathers  off,  I  saw  much  difference,  hat?    You  are  not  obliged  to  sell  for  $1  a  dozen 

so  I  put  the  pair  I  got  from  the  neighbor  on  just  because  you  are  offered  that  amount. 


326 


APPENDIX  G 


NEW  YORK  CITY  SQUAB  MARKET 
BOOMING,  by  William  R.  McLaughlin.  The 
New  York  City  squab  market,  with  which  I 
have  been  intimately  connected  for  many 
years,  buying  and  selling  to  a  trade  which  I 
know  thoroughly,  is  steadily  increasing  in 
demand,  especially  in  January  and  the  fol- 
lowing eight  months,  when  no  game  can  be 
had.  There  is  no  possibility  of  overdoing  the 
production,  as  the  squab  business  is  here  to 
stay.  There  is  a  good  demand  all  the  year 
round  for  birds  running  from  seven  pounds  to 
twelve  pounds  to  the  dozen,  at  good  paying 
prices,  and  breeders  should  place  themselves 
right  at  the  start  by  buying  birds  enough  to 
ship  from  five  to  ten  dozen  squabs  at  a  time. 
In  this  way  they  will  save  considerable  on 
express,  as  the  charge  on  this  quantity  is  a 
trine  more  than  on  one,  two  or  three  dozen 
shipments.  The  very  small  shipments  are 
unsatisfactory  to  handle  as  they  do  not  con- 
tain enough  birds  of  any  particular  size  to 
keep  a  good  average  scale. 

There  is  no  line  of  goods  I  handle  which  has 
grown  so  much  in  the  last  few  years  as  squabs, 
especially  since  the  squabs  have  been  sold  ac- 
cording to  grade  and  size,  and  I  believe  they 
will  continually  crowd  to  the  front.  I  want 
squabs  all  the  time. 

I  know  there  is  nothing  around  a  farm  pay- 
ing any  better  and  holding  to  a  more  steady 
price  all  year  round,  than  good  squabs  from 
seven  to  nine  pounds. 

As  regards  increase,  I  will  say  that  in  one 
little  town  in  New  Jersey  where  I  started  a 
few  shippers  and  got  them  to  raise  according 
to  the  scale  of  selling  by  weight  per  dozen, 
when  I  first  started,  the  business  in  that 
section  was  something  like  $5000  a  year  and 
has  since  grown  to  $25,000  a  year,  and  you 
could  not  get  them  to  go  back  to  the  old  way 
for  love  or  money.  They  have  all  made 
money  and  grown  from  small  shippers  to  large 
ones. 

I  DO  MY  KILLING  IN  THE  EARLY 
MORNING,  by  B.  F.  Babcock.  I  have  two 
days  in  each  week  for  the  killing  of  my 
squabs — Wednesdays  for  the  city  markets, 
and  Saturdays  for  my  home  orders.  At  this 
time  of  year  (July)  1  start  in  killing  at  five 
a.m.,  and  have  all  squabs  killed,  plucked  and 
delivered  by  ten  a.m.  I  have  two  covered 
baskets  which  I  take  with  me  to  the  lofts 
and  the  squabs  which  are  to  be  killed  are  put 
in  them.  Then  they  are  taken  to  where  I 
kill  and  pick  them. 

I  have  a  boy  who  does  all  the  killing  and 
helps  pick.  My  wife  and  myself  do  the  most 
of  the  picking.  As  soon  as  the  squabs  are 
picked  they  are  thrown  into  a  pail  of  cold 
water.  For  my  home  trade,  I  leave  them 
in  the  water  only  until  all  are  picked.  Their 
feet  and  mouths  are  all  cleaned  of  foul  matter, 
then  they  are  delivered  to  the  customers.  I 
do  all  delivering  myself.  For  the  city 
market  they  are  left  in  the  water  from  five  to 
six  hours,  according  to  what  train  they  are 
to  be  shipped. 


I  have  at  home  a  large  hotel  trade,  having 
a  standing  order  of  four  to  six  dozen  a  week. 
Prices  range  from  twenty-five  to  seventy-five 
cents  each  according  to  size  and  weight,  the 
average  being  about  fifty  cents  each.  In 
shipping  squabs  to  the  city  markets  I  pack  all 
squabs  in  ice,  first  putting  in  a  laver  of  ice, 
then  a  layer  of  squabs.  I  have  not  shipped 
ve/y  many  to  the  city  markets  as  my  home 
trade  takes  nearly  all  that  I  can  raise,  but 
have  always  when  shipping  received  the 
highest  market  prices. 

The  inexperienced  will  at  first  find  in  using 
the  squab  killing  knife,  that  they  do  not  stick 
the  squabs  right  and  that  some  v  ill  live  for 
quite  a  long  time,  and  have  to  be  stuck  the 
second  time.  This  has  been  my  experience 
so  I  tried  this  plan  so  as  not  to  let  the  squabs 
suffer  any. 

I  made  a  killing  machine,  the  same  as 
described  in  the  National  Standard  Squab 
Book,  pages  114-115,  which  breaks  their 
necks  and  kills  them  a;  once.  I  then  use  the 
squab  knife  and  bleed  them.  As  soon  as  the 
squabs  are  plucked  they  are  at  once  placed 
either  in  a  pail  or  tub  of  cold  water,  into 
which  some  salt  has  been  put.  If  you  use  a 
twelve-quart  pail  put  in  three  to  four  pinches 
of  salt,  that  is,  what  you  can  hold  with  your 
thumb  and  fingers.  If  a  tub  is  used  put  in 
according  to  size.  This  will  give  the  squabs 
the  fine  white  skin  desired  by  the  New  York 
market,  taking  out  all  the  dark  or  red  spots. 
It  also  gives  them  plumpness. 

I  leave  them  in  water  from  four  to  five 
hours,  which  takes  out  all  the  animal  heat.  I 
then  clean  the  feet  of  all  foul  matter  and  wash 
all  the  blood  from  their  beaks  and  mouths  and 
wrap  their  heads  in  white  tissue  paper.  The 
paper  costs  very  little  and  the  trouble  will 
more  than  repay  any  one.  It  gives  a  fine, 
clean  appearance  when  your  dealer  opens  the 
box  and  your  squabs  will  bring  the  top 
prices. 

I  pack  all  shipments  in  ice,  putting  in  a 
layer  of  ice  first,  then  a  layer  of  squabs, 
keeping  this  rotation  up  until  the  box  is  filled, 
but  being  very  careful  not  to  get  the  box  too 
full.  No  breeder  will  ever  be  sorry  for  any 
ext^  pains  he  takes  with  his  shipments,  as 
it  will  pay  in  the  long  run. 

SOFTENS  PEAS  IN  WATER,  by  Elmer 
Streckwald.  I  know  a  woman  breeding 
squabs  who  softens  peas  by  moistening  them 
in  water.  Her  idea  is  that  they  will  not  be 
so  hard  to  digest,  especially  for  the  young 
pigeons.  I  have  not  tried  this  myself.  Of 
course  they  should  be  softened  fresh  at  each 
feeding  time,  or  allowed  to  soak  three  or  four 
hours  before  feeding  time,  for  if  they  were 
allowed  to  stay  damp  over  night  they  would 
ferment.  This  woman  also  feeds  her  squabs 
on  bread  crumbs  and  she  has  told  me  tha* 
she  finds  the  use  of  a  moist  mixture  an  irr. 
provement  over  the  dry  feeding.  This 
spring  I  sold  my  squabs  to  middlemen  in 
Boston  for  $4  and  $4.25  a  dozen.  My  plant 
is  paying  a  profit. 


APPENDIX  G 


327 


$9  TO  $12  A  DAY  FROM  SQUABS  AND 
EGGS,  by  J.  E.  Ross.  In  May,  1910  I  pur- 
chased thirteen  pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers  from  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab 
Company,  and  as  it  is  more  than  a  year  now 
since  I  received  them,  I  thought  you  would 
like  to  know  what  they  have  been  doing  and 
what  I  have  been  doing. 

The  birds  arrived  on  a  Saturday  afternoon, 
and  by  Friday  of  the  following  week  twelve 
pairs  were  sitting  on  eggs,  and  they  are  still 
at  it.  From  the  original  thirteen  pairs  I  have 
raised  one  hundred  pairs  of  the  finest  birds 
that  you  would  want  to  look  at.  I  have  not 
lost  any  old  birds,  nor  have  I  had  any  sickness 
in  the  flock,  nor  been  troubled  with  lice. 

Out  of  the  thirteen  pairs,  nine  pairs  have 
raised  nine  pairs  of  squabs  from  May,  1910  to 
May,  1911,  one  pair  eight  pairs  of  squabs,  and 
three  pairs  eleven  pairs  of  squabs  in  the  same 
time.  My  squabs  weigh  from  twelve  ounces 
to  seventeen  ounces  at  four  weeks  old,  the 
majority  of  them  weighing  from  fourteen  to 
fourteen  and  one-half  ounces  each.  I  sell  my 
squabs  by  the  ounce,  five  cents  an  ounce,  to 
private  trade. 

I  feed  a  mixture  of  Canada  peas,  red  wheat, 
buckwheat,  kaffir  corn,  whole  round  corn, 
lentils,  millet  and  hempseed.  I  use  the  self 
feeder  described  in  Rice's  Manual.  It  costs 
me  six  cents  a  month  per  bird  to  keep  my 
flock. 

I  have  many  visitors  who  come  to  see  my 
Homers.  They  all  say  that  they  are  the  finest 
they  ever  saw. 

I  will  tell  you  how  I  came  to  start  in  the 
squab  business.  About  three  years  ago  I  met 
with  an  accident  on  the  railroad  where  I  was 
employed,  and  it  left  me  in  such  a  condition 
that  I  was  unable  to  do  any  work  without 
sitting  down  to  rest  very  often.  I  found  it 
very  hard  to  get  work  where  I  could  do  that, 
and  as  my  small  bank  account  was  getting 
smaller,  I  had  to  do  something  very  soon. 
A  friend  of  mine  told  me  of  the  squab  business. 
I  read  Rice's  Manual  until  I  had  it  off  by  heart, 
then  I  sent  for  the  birds.  I  have  never  re- 
gretted the  day  that  I  spent  the  thirty  dollars 
for  the  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  I  have  sold 
several  pairs  of  breeders  for  four  dollars  a 
pair,  and  have  refused  a  number  of  sales  at 
that  price,  for  they  are  worth  that  much  to 
me. 

As  I  went  around  in  my  Long  Island  town 
selling  my  squabs,  the  people  would  ask  me 
for  fresh  eggs,  so  I  decided  to  buy  eggs  and 
sell  them  with  my  squabs.  When  I  first 
started  with  squabs  I  was  not  making  a  cent. 
I  am  picking  up  from  nine  dollars  to  twelve 
dollars  a  day  now  with  my  squabs  and  eggs. 
At  present  I  have  more  orders  for  squabs 
than  I  can  supply,  and  my  place  will  not 
accommodate  another  pen  of  birds.  I  am 
looking  for  a  larger  place  now,  and  if  I  can 
get  it  I  am  going  to  put  in  two  more  pens  of 
Plymouth  Rock  Extra  Homers,  and  I  am  going 
to  get  them  from  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab 
Co.,  so  you  can  expect  to  hear  from  me 
again. 


LOOK  OUT  FOR  SUBSTITUTION.  Many 
newspapers  from  Maine  to  California  have 
poultry  and  pigeon  columns  of  advertisers 
selling  breeding  stock.  We  have  noticed,  and 
no  doubt  our  customers  have,  the  freedom, 
not  to  say  license,  with  which  "  Plymouth 
Rock  "  Homers  and  Carneaux  are  offered  in 
such  columns.  In  nearly  every  city  there  are 
some  irresponsible  hand-to-mouth  dealers  sell- 
ing all  breeds  of  pigeons,  and  every  Homer  and 
Carneau  they  can  get  hold  of  is  promptly 
labelled  or  advertised  as  "Plymouth  Rock 
and  sold  on  the  strength  of  the  reputation  our 
birds  have  made.  This  substitution  some- 
times can  be  worked  on  a  buyer  who  may  be 
afraid  to  send  money  by  letter.  We  have 
stopped  a  good  deal  of  it  with  the  help  of 
customers  who  have  called  our  attention  to 
cases  in  their  States.  The  use  of  our  trade 
mark,  unless  specifically  authorized  by  license 
from  us,  is  illegal  and  we  will  be  indebted  to 
friends  who  will  point  out  to  us  cases  of  violation 
as  they  see  them.  Imitation  is  the  sincerest 
flattery,  it  is  true,  and  the  fact  that  our  pigeons 
are  the  standard  for  comparison  or  for  making 
sales,  in  the  different  markets  and  advertising 
mediums,  is  gratifying,  but  competition  of 
that  kind  is  unfair.  We  give  only  to  customers 
the  right  to  sell  their  killed  squabs  as  Plymouth 
Rock  squabs,  no  matter  where  they  live,  and 
we  want  no  better  testimony  than  is  printed 
from  month  to  month  to  prove  that  this  trade 
mark  is  worth  money  on  the  price  of  the  squabs. 
It  is  the  right  kind  of  an  introduction  to  the 
big  squab  buyers.  Every  week  letters  come 
from  somebody  who  has  bought  of  our  "  agent  " 
and  has  some  disappointment  to  record.  We 
have  no  agents  anywhere.  All  trading  with 
us  is  done  direct  with  our  Melrose  farm,  or 
Boston  office,  or  it  is  not  Plymouth  Rock 
business. 

WHAT  TO  DO  WITH  STRAY  EGG,  by 
W.  E.  Blakslee.  Young  birds  are  liable  to  lay 
their  first  eggs  anywhere,  in  a  nest,  on  the 
floor,  and  sometimes  even  you  will  find  their 
eggs  out  in  the  flying  pen.  They  lay  their 
eggs,  but  many  times  a  pair  pays  no  more 
attention  to  them.  Many  seem  to  think  such 
eggs  are  not  fertile,  but  I  find  the  chance  is 
that  they  are.  Save  them  and  put  one  in 
each^ew  nest  of  your  other  birds  the  day  their 
second  egg  is  laid.  This  is  your  chance  for 
a  few  extra  squabs.  What  if  you  do  have 
three  in  a  nest?  When  you  match  up  your 
squabs  you  may  need  these  extra  ones  that 
you  may  get  this  way.  Every  squab  saved 
counts  to  the  good. 

BIG  HOMER  INCREASE,  by  N.  A.  Huston. 

My  stock  of  six  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock 
Extra  Homers  was  bought  in  1907,  March  22. 
I  have  about  three  hundred  birds  today,  Jan- 
uary 31,  1910.  My  intention  now  is  to  raise 
as  many  squabs  as  I  can  for  market.  I  made 
an  outlay  of  about  $250  on  my  squabhouse 
last  spring,  raising  on  three-foot  posts,  new 
floors,  etc.  Expect  to  enlarge  in  another  year 
if  nothing  happens. 


APPENDIX  G 


APPENDIX    G 


329 


WE  SELL  NO  SQUABS  FOR  LESS  THAN 
$6  A  DOZEN,  by  Elmer  E.  Wygant.  A  few 
months  ago  I  wrote  you  to  the  effect  that  I 
was  having  some  photographs  taken  of  our 
buildings,  to  show  you  what  we  have  been  able 
to  do  with  the  twenty-five  pairs  of  Extra 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  which  we  bought  of 
the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co.,  Boston,  in 
April,  1909. 

When  the  birds  arrived,  we  placed  them  in 
a  box  stall,  built  a  small  pen  on  the  outside, 
and  did  not  pay  any  attention  to  them  except 
to  water  and  feed  for  over  three  months, 
when  we  found  we  had  to  prepare  other  pens 
for  the  young,  which  were  coming  very  fast. 
In  fact,  every  pair  shipped  us  were  all  raising 
squabs  at  this  time.  They  came  so  fast  that 
we  have  been  compelled  to  put  up  a  building 
which  is  128  feet  long,  eighteen  feet  wide  and 
twelve  feet  high.  At  this  writing  (June  3) 
it  is  filled  with  three  hundred  mated  pairs  all 
breeding,  besides  ten  pens  in  the  large  barn 
with  four  hundred  mated  pairs. 

I  can  see  where  I  made  a  mistake  when 
starting  and  that  was  that  I  should  have  bought 
about  five  hundred  pairs  and  saved  the  time 
we  have  taken  to  breed.  For  since  last 
August,  when  we  began  to  sell  squabs,  we 
have  been  compelled  to  refuse  orders  owing  to 
our  wish  to  breed  to  one  thousand  pairs. 

We  have  made  a  point  not  to  sell  any  squabs 
less  than  $6  a  dozen  dressed,  and  guarantee 
every  squab  to  weigh  three-quarters  of  a 
pound,  dressed,  or  no  sale.  We  are  careful 
not  to  kill  any  birds  if  under  the  above  weight. 
We  have  supplied  banquets  and  hotels  at  the 
above  price  and  in  doing  so  we  show  a  common 
pigeon  by  the  side  of  a  Homer,  which  settles 
all  arguments  at  once. 

We  feed  entirely  according  to  the  directions 
in  Elmer  Rice's  book  and  have  had  no  trouble 
in  keeping  all  the  birds  in  fine  condition. 
The  main  point,  in  our  estimation,  is  to  have 
clean  coops,  fresh  water  at  all  times,  and  see 
that  every  bird  is  given  enough  to  eat.  If 
these  instructions  are  lived  up  to  at  all  times, 
there  is  no  reason  why  anybody  should  not 
make  a  success  of  raising  squabs. 

(By  Ray  E.  Brown,  Manager.) 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  Mr.  Wygant,  the 
proprietor  of  Etwinoma  Farms,  is  also  the 
owner  and  manager  of  a  large  summer  resort, 
this  time  of  the  season  finds  him  rushed,  so 
he  has  handed  me  your  request  for  further 
details  regarding  the  way  we  are  getting  along 
with  the  squab  business. 

We  started  small  and  enlarge  as  we  grow. 
We  are  at  the  same  time  growing  a  large 
poultry  business. 

Make  up  your  mind  what  variety  of  pigeons 
you  want,  how  many  you  want,  and  remember 
the  best  is  what  you  want.  There  are  a  great 
many  varieties  suitable  for  squab  raising. 
We  prefer  the  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers, 
which  we  find  come  up  to  all  the  requirements 
called  for  by  the  squab  demand. 

Regardless  of  the  variety  you  start  with,  it 
is  quality  you  want,  not  quantity  Buy  your 
foundation  stock  from  a  reliable  breeder. 


Tell  him  what  you  want  and  pay  his  price. 
Don't  think  the  price  too  high  considering 
quality,  as  he  knows  the  value  of  the  birds 
he  is  quoting  you  prices  on  much  better  than 
you,  and  bantering  over  prices  with  a  reliable 
breeder  is  only  waste  of  time.  Also  remember 
that  saving  money  buying  cheap  stock  birds 
is  not  saving,  only  wasting. 

This  being  a  large  farm  covering  300  acres, 
we  find  valuable  use  for  all  the  pigeon  droppings 
in  the  orchard.  We  raise  some  of  our  grain, 
which  is  but  a  small  advantage  over  those 
who  have  to  buy  their  entire  amount.  Our 
main  advantage  is  that  our  entire  lofts  and 
farms  are  connected  with  running  water. 

The  successful  squab  raiser  should  study 
the  National  Standard  Squab  Book,  subscribe 
for  the  Squab  Magazine  and  take  advantage 
of  some  of  the  many  good  hints  published  in 
each  and  every  copy  from  men  who  know 
from  experience. 

A  correspondent  in  Maryland  writes  to  us 
March  20,  1911:  "I  have  seen  some  of  your 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  in  this  neighborhood 
and  they  are  fine  birds,  so  fine  indeed  that  I 
am  anxious  to  get  rid  of  my  Carneaux  to  get 
them  instead."  That  is  quite  a  recommenda- 
tion, is  it  not?  We  might  add,  that  the  Car- 
neaux which  we  sell  at  a  higher  price  than  our 
Homers  are  bigger  and  better  than  our  Homers. 
Many  people  buy  only  by  labels  and  prices; 
in  other  words  if  pigeons  called  Carneaux  were 
offered  them  at  one  dollar  a  pair,  they  would 
buy  them,  without  any  thought  further.  There 
is  not  much  satisfaction  in  that  kind  of  trade 
either  for  seller  or  buyer. 

BOTH  HATCH  ON  SAME  DAY,  by  Leroy 

"      a  br     " 


Wiles.  I  think  it  is  a  good  idea  for 
to  save  all  his  eggs  that  do  not  hatch  and 
when  a  pigeon  lays  her  first  egg,  take  it  out 
of  the  nest  and  put  in  one  of  the  infertile  ones, 
then  when  she  lays  her  second  egg,  take  out 
the  infertile  one  and  put  back  her  own  that 
was  taken  out  the  first  day  she  laid.  (The 
infertile  egg  can  be  told  by  putting  a  mark  on 
it.)  This  will  keep  one  squab  from  hatching 
a  day  before  the  other.  Then  very  few  squabs 
will  get  stunted. 

Considering  the  question  of  "  How  best  to 
reach  the  retail  trade,"  would  say,  although  I 
have  not  tried  it  out,  I  believe  a  good  way 
(and  one  of  small  cos*)  would  be  to  send  post- 
cards, either  neatly  printed  or  written,  to  each 
doctor  in  the  city,  stating  that  if  any  of  his 
patients  are  in  need  of  squabs,  the  writer  is  in 
a  position  to  supply  them. — H.  A.  Knelly,  New 
Jersey. 

Charles  S.  Eby,  a  Michigan  customer,  is 
raising  squabs  from  Plymouth  Rock  Extra 
Homers  weighing  from  one  pound  to  nineteen 
ounces  apiece.  The  smallest  squab  he  ever 
weighed  registered  fifteen  ounces.  He  has  the 
right  Homers  and  he  knows  how  to  feed  to 
fatten. 


330 


APPENDIX   G 


NOW,    BUSTER,    DON'T    MOVE. 


CARNEAUX  PRICES.  It  is  a  peculiar 
thing  about  the  pigeon  trade  that  whereas 
there  are  a  certain  number  of  purchasers  at, 
say,  six  dollars  a  pair,  the  number  will  treble 
and  quadruple  at  three  dollars  a  pair,  with 
no  further  inducement  than  the  price.  This 
is  an  absurdity  and  in  the  old  days  did  more 
to  drag  the  pigeon  business  down  than  any- 
thing else,  for  few  selling  pigeons  at  cheap 
prices  could  afford  to  replace  dead  birds,  odd 


sex,  etc.  Cheap  pigeons  are  never 
cheap,  but  in  most  cases  are  a  total 
loss  and  a  source  of  the  utmost 
vexation  from  start  to  finish.  In  a 
pigeon  transaction,  the  price  is  a 
very  small  matter.  What  you  wish 
to  know  is:  Will  I  get  them  prompt- 
ly, or  wait  from  three  to  six  months 
while  the  birds  are  being  bred  for 
me?  In  case  there  are  some  dead 
ones  in  the  coop  on  arrival,  will  the 
seller  promptly  make  good,  or  will 
he  refuse,  putting  the  blame  onto 
the  express  company,  which  never 
pays  such  claims  unless  the  deaths 
have  been  caused  by  a  wreck?  In 
case  I  am  not  satisfied  with  some  or 
all  of  the  pigeons,  have  I  any  redress? 
Who  pays  the  express,  myself  or 
the  shipper?  In  case  I  find  some 
youngsters,  or  more  of  one  sex  than 
the  other,  can  I  force  the  seller  to 
make  good?  So,  you  see,  suppose 
you  can  buy  Carneaux  at  $3  a  pair, 
and  do  not  buy  character,  reputation 
and  good  service  with  it,  you  get 
less  than  half  of  what  you  would 
have  secured  had  you  paid  $6  a 
pair  and  received  satisfaction.  The 
friendship  and  good  will  between 
buyer  and  seller  is  a  very  important 
matter  in  a  pigeon  sale.  If  one 
finds  he  can  buy  regular  ten-cent 
soap  for  six  cents,  why  one  would 
of  course  pay  six  cents.  Soap  is  not 
alive  and  does  not  breed.  It  can 
be  transported  without  risk.  It  is 
not  likely  that  you  would  ask  for 
a  refund  of  the  money.  But  there 
is  some  risk  in  buying  pigeons  and 
it  is  to  your  advantage  to  trade 
with  a  firm  which  will  take  the  risk, 
and  not  compel  you, 

I  can  talk  Homers  all  day.  I  owe 
a  great  deal  of  my  success  to  the 
National  Squab  Magazine.  I  start- 
ed three  years  ago  with  thirty-six 
Plymouth  Rock  Extra  Homers.  I 
have  now  nineteen  units  on  Mr. 
Rice's  plan,  and  have  between  1200 
and  1500  birds.  In  June  I  shipped 
434  squabs  to  a  northern  market, 
first  week  in  July  115.  We  have 
no  local  market  in  summer,  this 
being  a  winter  resort.  My  best 
prices  are  obtained  in  the  winter. 
I  sold  in  two  and  a  half  months 
eight  hundred  squabs  at  six  dollars 
per  dozen. — W.  C.  Hyer,  South  Carolina. 

Your  Manual,  the  National  Standard  Squab 
Book,  is  the  best  and  most  thorough  publica- 
tion on  pigeons  and  squabs  ever  published.  I 
am  more  than  pleased  with  it.  I  shall  send  on 
an  order  early  this  spring,  possibly  earlier, 
and  if  your  birds  are  like  your  book,  there 
shall  certainly  be  another  order. —  W.  C.  Val- 
entine, Illinois. 


APPENDIX  G 


331 


HOW  I  NET  $4000  A  YEAR 
WITH  SQUABS,  by  Oscar 
Maer/ke.  1  have  been  in  the 
squab  business  thirteen  years. 
I  have  a  mixed  flock  containing 
both  common  pigeons  and 
Homers.  The  squabs  from  the 
Homers  are  larger  and  bring 
more  money,  and  the  Homers 
breed  better  than  the  com- 
mons. I  make  $4000  a  year 
profit.  I  always  have  run  the 
business  alone,  up  to  last  year, 
when  I  took  a  partner,  Charles 
Lutovsky.  In  the  county  where 
we  live  (Wisconsin)  many  of 
the  farmers  breed  common 
pigeons.  We  have  an  automo- 
bile with  a  rack  on  back  to 
hold  pigeon  crates.  My  part- 
ner goes  out  daily  in  this 
automobile,  to  gather  up  the 
squabs  from  the  farmers,  coyer- 
ing  regular  routes.  He  brings 
them  home  alive  and  I  kill 
and  pluck  them  and  ship  them 
along  with  the  squabs  we  raise. 
We  have  shipped  squabs  as 
far  East  as  New  York.  Just 
now  we  are  shipping  to  Chicago, 
about  150  miles  distant.  We 
use  any  kind  of  a  second-hand 
box,  provided  it  is  clean  and 
fairly  tight,  for  shipping,  put- 


MAERZKE*S   S4000-A-YEAR  PROFIT   SQUAB    PLANT. 


ting  a  layer  of  ice  on  top 

squabs  and   nailing  the  box  up  tight.       The 

empties  are  not  returned  to  us. 

My  home  is  half  a  mile  down  the  street  from 
the  squab  plant.  I  have  built  one  residence 
from  squab  profits  and  ana  now  building 
another  alongside  my  present  home. 

It  costs  us  $3500  a  year  to  feed  our  birds, 
or  a  little  less  than  $1  a  year  a  pair.  An  im- 
portant part  of  the  daily  ration  is  a  wild  seed 
mixture,  bought  cheaply.  We  get  it  from 
a  brewery.  It  is  what  is  left  after  cleaning 
barley  for  malt.  The  brewery,  having  no 
further  use  for  this  refuse,  sells  it  cheap.  It 
is  perfectly  clean,  dry,  sweet  and  good,  how- 
ever. The  pigeons  are  very  fond  of  it  and  it 
does  them  good.  Of  course,  when  they  are 
eating  it  they  are  not  eating  the  more  expensive 
wheat  and  corn.  The  mixture  contains  the 
small  black  kernels  of  wild  buckwheat,  also 
cockle  seed,  flaxseed,  the  seed  of  pigeon  grass, 
and  some  barley.  We  store  it  in  bins  and  it 
does  not  have  much  of  a  tendency  to  heat  or 
spoil. 

The  squabs  from  our  common  pigeons  and 
the  common  squabs  bought  from  the  farmers 
weigh  about  seven  pounds  to  the  dozen. 
They  are  smaller,  do  not  look  so  good  and 
do  not  bring  so  much  in  the  market  as  the 
Homer  squabs.  The  squabs  from  our  Homers 
weigh  eight  or  nine  pounds  to  the  dozen  and 
we  have  some  ten-pound  Homer  squabs. 
When  I  started  in  the  business  a  squab  was 
a  squab,  no  matter  what  size,  and  brought 
a  flat  price,  but  now,  on  account  of  the  enor- 


mous number  of  superior,  large-size  Homers 
which  Elmer  Rice  has  imported  from  Belgium 
and  sold  in  this  country,  the  small-size  native 
American  Homers  and  the  common  pigeons 
have  been  overshadowed  in  the  markets. 
Squabs  are  now  graded  by  weight  when  sold, 
and  the  more  they  weigh  to  the  dozen,  the 
more  they  bring.  I  have  always  sold  to 
commission  men  and  dealers  in  the  large 
cities. 

We  have  no  heat  in  our  houses.  In  the 
winter  the  temperature  goes  as  low  as  twenty 
degrees  below  zero.  The  squab  production 
falls  off  some  in  winter  and  we  lose  a  few 
squabs  and  eggs  by  freezing,  but  this  is  trifling 
compared  to  the  cost  of  installing  and  running 
a  heating  apparatus,  which  is  out  of  the  ques- 
tion with  our  houses  built  and  located  as  they 
are.  We  have  so  many  pigeons  in  each  of 
our  three  flocks  (and  a  fourth  flock  of  one 
thousand  pairs  to  be  soon  added)  that  the 
houses  are  kept  quite  comfortable  by  the  heat 
given  off  by  the  birds. 

Mrs.  W.  R.  Lycan,  a  customer  in  far  of 
Oregon,  writes  us  March  31,  1911:  "  I  bought 
three  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  just 
one  year  ago  and  have  raised  over  seventy, 
lost  very  few.  One  pair  has  raised  nine  pairs 
and  is  setting  again.  This  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  we  have  moved  during  this  time 
and  had  them  in  a  coop  for  several  days,  and 
have  never  had  a  flying  pen;  just  have  them 
in  an  open-front  chicken  house.  How's  that?  " 


332 


APPENDIX    G 


HOW  A  MAN  OF  75  MAKES  $25  WEEKLY, 
by  John  D.  Ludwig.  I  am  making  $100  a 
month  net  profit  squab  breeding  with  1400 
mated  pigeons,  mostly  Homers.  I  am  seventy- 
five  years  old.  In  front  of  my  house  I  have 
a  sign:  "One  squab  contains  two  to  five 
ounces  of  liquor  protoplasm.  This  is  the 
liquor  of  life,  without  which  nothing  can  live. 
Thirty  good  squabs  have  more  protoplasm  than 
a  beef  weighing  eight  hundred  pounds."  I  live 
on  the  Southern  Pacific  railroad  line,  and  thou- 
sands of  people  read  the  sign. 

At  the  present  time  (March)  I  receive  $3.75 
a  dozen  for  Homer  squabs,  and  $4.50  a  dozen 
for  my  larger  squabs,  net.  Last  year  I  sold 
8199  squabs.  My  customers  call  at  the 
aviary  for  my  squabs.  I  put  from  twenty- 
four  to  forty  squabs  in  a  box  alive  and  the 
expressman  calls  for  the  boxes.  My  market 
is  Oakland  and  San  Francisco.  I  cannot  raise 
the  number  of  squabs  that  are  called  for. 
My  squabs  are  always  plump  and  fat,  and 
weigh  from  twelve  to  eighteen  ounces  each. 

The  boxes  I  ship  the  squabs  in  are  the  size 
of  Swift  turkey  boxes  and  have  a  partition 
in  the  center.  I  place  eighteen  or  twenty 
squabs  in  each  compartment.  The  boxes  are 
returned  to  me  and  the  poultrymen  pay  the 
express  both  ways,  on  the  squabs  and  empties. 
They  are  paying  as  high  as  $5  a  dozen  in  San 
Francisco,  one  year  contract. 

Is  it  hard  work  to  take  care  of  1400  pigeons, 
they  ask  me.  I  have  two  boys,  George,  the 
older,  thirteen  years  old;  Edwin,  the  younger, 
nine  years.  In  vacation  they  did  all  the  work 
around  the  aviary.  Gathered  all  the  squabs 
for  market.  Removed  the  dirty  nests.  Cleaned 
them.  Dipped  them  into  the  whitewash 
barrel.  Set  them  aside  ready  for  future  use. 
Placed  clean  boxes  for  the  dirty  ones  taken  out. 
Raked  out  the  houses  and  lofts.  Shoveled 
the  manure  in  the  wagon  and  delivered  it  to 
the  florist.  Mixed  the  feed  and  placed  it  in 
the  hoppers.  Gathered  and  handled  eucalyptus 
leaves  to  refill  nestboxes.  They  ran  the  place 
in  fine  order.  (The  boys  did  that  during  their 
vacation  from  school.  I  was  on  a  trip  to 
Sonoma  county.)  At  present  they  go  to 
school.  After  school  hours  they  are  on  hand 
and  we  do  the  work.  Both  love  pigeons 
and  are  pleased  to  be  with  them. 

Boys  certainly  can  make  money  raising 
squabs  for  market.  They  must  learn  all  about 
pigeons.  Must  attend  to  business  or  they 
will  lose  the  cash  they  invest.  Start  with  only 
a  few  pairs. 

Does  it  pay  to  raise  squabs?  Yes,  it  does. 
I  am  making  money.  But  like  any  other  busi- 
ness you  must  learn  the  details.  Learn  the 
habits  of  pigeons  and  how  to  take  care  of  them. 

1  write  you  these  few  lines  to  let  you  know 
that  we  are  still  in  the  business,  and  I  will  tell 
you  of  our  success  after  a  year  and  a  half. 
We  wish  to  enlarge.  We  have  now  working 
about  135  pairs  of  the  old  original  birds,  of 
which  seventy-five  pairs  were  secured  from 
your  company,  and  the  balance  elsewhere,  but 
like  most  new  beginners  we  of  course  got  a 


few  of  those  so-called  Homers,  and  that  meant 
we  were  stung,  but  the  seventy-five  pairs  that 
we  got  from  you  are  certainly  fine  workers  and 
are  going  great  for  us.  Out  of  the  last  year  we 
have  saved  something  like  one  hundred  pairs 
of  young  birds  out  of  those  we  bought  from  you 
so  now  we  have  about  240  pairs  turning  out 
squabs  for  us,  and  we  are  shipping  on  an  aver- 
age of  four  dozen  squabs  a  week  and  also  are 
supplying  some  few  small  breeders  around  here. 
Besides  the  Homers  we  have  thirty-eight  pairs 
of  Carneaux  working  but  have  not  put  any  of 
their  young  on  the  market  yet.  We  are  proud 
of  our  success,  which  we  lay  to  the  birds  bought 
from  you.  We  want  to  add  another  sixty- 
foot  building  to  our  present  holdings  and  to 
secure  about  three  hundred  pairs  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers  from  you.  You  have  the  only 
pigeons  that  we  care  to  handle.  We  ship  our 
squabs  to  Heineman  Brothers  in  New  York. — 
E.  J.  Quigley,  West  Virginia. 

ONE  YEAR'S  RECORD,  by  Emil  Oetteking. 

I  kept  a  record  of  the  feed  consumed  by  eight 
pairs  of  Homers  in  the  year  from  January  1 ,  to 
December  31,  1910,  with  the  following  result: 
Whole  corn,  177  Ibs,  at  $1.55 per  lOOlbs. — $2.63 
Red  wheat,  168  Ibs.  at  2.40  per  100 Ibs.—  4.03 
Kaffir  corn,  122 Ibs.  at  2.30  per  100 Ibs.—  2.81 
Buckwheat,  51  Ibs.  at  2.25  per  100 Ibs. —  1.15 
Peas,  158  Ibs.  at  3.80  per  100  Ibs. —  6.00 

Hemp  seed,     9  Ibs.  at   6.00  per  100  Ibs.—  0.54 


Total,  678  Ibs.  $17.16 

I  killed  129  squabs  in  twelve  months  from 
the  eight  pairs  of  pigeons.  This  is  at  the  rate 
of  sixteen  and  one  half  squabs  per  pair,  or 
eight  and  one-quarter  pairs  of  squabs  to  each 
pair  of  parent  breeders. 

I  suppose  .you  are  always  ready  to  read  of  a 
customer  of  yours  that  has  made  a  success  with 
pigeons,  so  I  am  writing  to  give  you  that 
information.  I  started  my  flock  two  years 
ago  with  three  pairs  of  your  Plymouth  Rock 
Carneaux  and  now  (March  26,  1911),  am  the 
proud  owner  of  nearly  two  hundred  pairs  of  as 
fine  birds  as  there  are  in  the  country.  I  have 
sold  squabs,  youngsters  and  mated  pairs,  and 
at  no  time  have  I  had  any  trouble  in  disposing 
of  them.  The  breeders  are  always  of  good 
color,  good  size,  and  as  for  breeding  qualities, 
they  are  hummers.  I  want  to  thank  you  again 
for  starting  me  right.  Still  have  my  original 
pairs  (three),  which  are  as  busy  as  ever. — Cadet 
H.  Hand,  New  York. 

Two  weeks  ago  I  killed  and  shipped  my  first 
squabs.  I  never  killed  and  plucked  a  squab 
or  fowl  of  any  kind  so  you  can  imagine  the  task 
I  had  on  hand.  I  had  eleven  squabs.  For  the 
best  I  received  seventy-four  cents  a  pair  clear, 
or  eighty-three  cents  gross;  for  the  smallest 
forty-four  cents  a  pair  clear  or  fifty-five  cents 
gross,  an  average  of  $4.20  a  dozen  gross,  or 
$3.70  after  packing  and  shipping  expenses  were 
deducted.  How  is  that  for  a  "  greenie  "  in  the 
business  —  good,  bad  or  indifferent? — Park  F. 
Esbenshade,  Pennsylvania. 


APPENDIX    G 


333 


HOW  AN  IOWA  FAMILY 
MAKES  SQUABS  PAY,  by  R. 
L.  Allen.  I  am  very  much  in- 
terested in  the  pigeon  business. 
I  believe  it  is  only  in  its  infancy 
and  that  better  times  are  com- 
ing. I  send  you  a  picture  of 
our  unit  house  which,  as  you 
see,  has  eight  separate  apart- 
ments. We  have  three  other 
houses  not  shown  in  this  pic- 
ture. These  apartments  are 
each  eight  by  ten  feet.  They 
are  eight  feet  high  on  the  high 
side  and  six  feet  high  on  the 
low  side.  The  fly  yards  are 
ten  by  sixteen  feet,  eight  feet 
high. 

Each  of  these  apartments 
has  an  average  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-two  nests,  and  an 
average  of  one  hundred  and 
twelve  mated,  working  pigeons. 
We  find  it  better  to  have  more 
nests  than  birds. 

The  girl  in  the  picture  is  Lila 
Allen,  sixteen  years  old,  another 
member  of  the  firm,  who  has 
charge  of  the  feed  supplies. 
Once  every  day  she  goes  all 
through  the  plant  and  refills 
the  automatic  feeders  that  are 
in  need  of  grain.  In  these 
feeders  there  are  compartments 
to  accommodate  two  lands  of  grain.  We 
also  have  a  little  contrivance  of  our  own  in- 
vention to  keep  salt  and  grit  always  before 
them.  We  are  not  prepared  at  this  time  to 
furnish  the  pictures  of  Mrs.  Allen,  who  is 
bookkeeper  and  secretary,  or  of  Mr.  R.  L. 
Allen,  general  manager.  In  this  pigeon  plant, 
each  member  of  the  family  and  firm  has  his 
or  her  work  to  do,  and  each  receives  a  share 
in  the  receipts.  We  have  one  thousand 
breeding  pigeons. 

I  find  in  traveling  about  over  the  country 
that  where  there  is  a  bunch  of  pigeons  that  the 
owner  is  "  sick  of  "  and  complaining  because 
there  is  no  money  in  them,  the  house  is  in 
bad  condition,  feed  and  water  supply  is  poor, 
and  the  pigeons  are  not  evenly  proportioned 
in  regard  to  sex.  Under  such  conditions  good 
results  are  out  of  the  question.  The  owner 
is  trying  to  sell  them  cheap,  and  if  he  gets  a 
buyer,  unless  the  latter  is  a  good  judge  and 
understands  how  to  cull  them  closely,  he 
too  finds  out  a  little  later  that  there  is  no 
money  in  the  pigeon  business.  Then  the  poor 
pigeons  get  the  blame  for  it  all. 

HOW  THEY  BREED  IN  ONTARIO,  by 
W.  Ernest  Williams.  In  March  last  I  pur- 
chased three  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Extra 
Homers  and  to  date  (October  27)  I  have  twelve 
pairs  of  youngsters  that  have  been  spared  for 
breeders.  In  March  all  three  pairs  had  eggs 
within  two  weeks  of  being  in  their  new  home. 
In  my  pen  I  have  up  to  the  present  twelve 
pairs  of  youngsters  that  are  flying  about,  and 


VIEWS   ON    THE   ALLEN   SQUAB    FARM. 


have  killed  two  pairs  for  eating.  One  pair 
fell  out  of  its  nest  or  was  pushed  out  and  killed 
when  only  two  weeks  old.  Now  I  have  one 
pair  about  four  days  old  and  two  pairs  on  eggs. 
Mr.  Baker  and  Mr.  Burgess  will  no  doubt 
want  to  buy  my  birds  after  seeing  this,  but 
not  for  $5  a  pair  if  I  know  it.  Just  look: 
sixteen  pairs  and  two  pairs  of  eggs.  This 
is  a  straight  fact  and  no  fairy  tale,  I  can  assure 
you. 

I  have  been  getting  three  dollars  per  dozen 
for  my  squabs.  At  one  of  the  Chicago  markets 
I  asked  the  man  what  he  would  pay  me  for  what 
he  called  fancy  Homer  squabs.  He  said  they 
were  too  high  for  his  market,  and  that  the 
hotels  and  big  restaurants  paid  six  and  seven 
dollars  a  dozen  for  them  dressed,  done  up  in 
one-half  dozen  lots,  and  they  had  to  weigh 
just  so  much.  I  also  spoke  to  a  party  that 
used  to  be  in  a  meat  market  where  squabs  were 
handled,  and  he  told  me  they  paid  around 
forty  cents  apiece  for  squabs  and  sold  them  as 
high  as  seventy-five  cents  apiece.  —  Henry 
Huecker,  Illinois. 

I  ordered  three  pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth  Roqk 
Homers  six  months  ago.  I  had  other  Homers 
in  my  house  but  in  the  scramble  for  nestboxes, 
the  new  ones  were  easy  winners,  they  were  so 
much  bigger  and  stronger.  I  am  raising  some 
big  squabs  from  them.  The  largest  I  had 
were  a  pair  of  red  checks,  one  weighing  twenty 
ounces  and  the  other  twenty-two  ounces. — 
Walter  Sieverling,  Ohio. 


334 


APPENDIX    G 


SQUAB  MONEY  KEPT  THIS  BOY  IN 
SCHOOL,  by  Elmer  Krider.  I  am  a  boy  of 

seventeen  and  live  with  my  grandparents  in 
California.  Both  my  mother  and  father  are 
dead,  so  you  see  I  had  to  find  some  way  of 
making  money  without  having  to  quit  school. 
While  reading  a  paper  one  day  I  saw  the 
Plymouth  Rock  advertisement  and  sent  for 
a  free  book,  then  bought  the  complete  pigeon 
guide,  which  I  found  was  the  same  as  haying 
an  expert  squab  raiser  with  you  all  the  time. 
By  studying  this  Manual  I  got  a  clear  view 
of  the  squab  industry,  purchased  twelve  pairs 
of  Homers  in  September,  1907,  and  up  to  this 
writing  (September  27,  1909)  have  three 
hundred  and  sixty,  including  one  hundred 
mated  pairs.  I  ship  the  squabs  at  the  rate 
of  about  seven  dozen  every  month  to  San 
Francisco,  where  I  get  never  less  than  thirty- 
five  cents  each. 

Boys  who  were  my  best  friends  wanted  me 
to  go  out  in  the  fields  and  work  with  them  for 
$25  a  month.  I  told  them  I  would  not  quit 
school  to  go  out  in  the  hot  sun  and  work  for 
$25  a  month.  Then  here  is  where  they  began 
to  tease  me  about  the  pigeons  and  that  I 
would  not  make  a  cent  out  of  them.  So, 
what  happened  is,  that  I  have  kept  on  with 
my  school,  making  a  clear  profit  of  $20  a  month 
with  little  work. 

This  just  shows  what  a  great  chance  the 
pigeon  industry  offers.  There  is  one  man 
here  who  came  from  Minnesota  to  raise  squabs 
and  on  arrival  took  the  ginseng  fever  and 
began  raising  it.  Now  he  is  beginning  to  see 
his  mistake  in  not  sticking  to  squabs. 

SQUABS  SELLING  IN  BOSTON  $7  A 
DQZEN,  by  Elmer  C.  Rice.  Just  one  year  ago 
this  month  I  wrote  an  article  telling  how 
squabs  were  selling  in  Boston  at  seven  dollars 
a  dozen,  the  highest  known  up  to  that  time. 
This  year  (1911)  squabs  are  just  as  high,  and 
appear  to  be  scarcer. 

In  the  Boston  Globe  for  January  27,  1911, 
squabs  were  quoted  at  $5.00  to  $7.00  a  dozen. 
In  the  Globe  for  January  20,  $5.50  and  $6.00 
a  dozen.  For  January  13,  $5.00  and  $6.00 
a  dozen.  For  January  6,  $5.00  and  $6.50  a 
dozen.  For  December  30,  $5.00  and  $6.00. 

The  Globe  prints  the  squab  quotations  in  a 
special  market  article  every  Friday  afternoon 
throughout  the  year,  along  with  quotations 
on  meats,  butter,  cheese,  eggs,  fruits,  vege- 
tables, fish. 

When  squabs  weighing  eight  pounds  to  the 
dozen  sell  for  $6.00  a  dozen,  this  means  that 
the  buyer  pays  seventy-five  cents  a  pound; 
ten  pounds  to  the  dozen  at  $7  a  dozen,  seventy 
cents  a  pound;  twelve  pounds  to  the  dozen  at 
$7.00  a  dozen,  sixty-seven  cents  a  pound. 
This  is  double  the  prices  at  which  chickens 
sell,  pound  for  pound,  and  indicates  how 
profitable  it  is  to  breed  squabs. 

MY  SQUAB  PLANT  PAYING  221-2 
PER  CENT  PROFIT,  by  H.  C.  Longcoy.  For 

any  one  entering  any  business,  the  nrst  ques- 
tion coming  to  mind  is;  How  have  others 


succeeded?  So  a  few  figures  of  actual  facts 
are  here  submitted.  I  have  been  raising 
squabs  in  Ohio  for  five  years  and  have  made 
big  money  for  the  time  spent  on  them.  I  get 
all  my  grain,  grit,  etc.,  at  wholesale.  I  sell 
through  a  retail  store.  They  give  me  $3.50  a 
dozen,  flat  rate,  the  year  round.  I  have 
fifteen  pens  of  breeders  at  present,  but,  for 
example,  we  will  take  one  pen  of  twenty-one 
pairs  of  large  crosses  with  actual  figures. 
These  birds  have  done  no  better  than  the 
others: 

Grain  for  365  days  $30.57 

Cost  of  house  (pro  rated)  SI. 57  per  pair  or  32.97 
Value  of  birds,  21  pairs  at  $4  84.00 

Interest  on  $84  plus  $32.97  (investment)  7.01 
Depreciation  on  investment  10%  11.69 

Actual  outlay  $30.57  plus  $7.01  plus  $11.69, 
total  $49.27. 
Twenty-one  pairs  produced  246  squabs 

during  the  year  at  $3.50  per  dozen  $71.75 
Droppings  sold  3.90 

Income  $75.65 

$75.65  minus  $49.27  equals  $26.38  profit,  or 
$1.25  1-2  per  pair. 

Very  few  business  propositions  pay  22  1-2% 
net;  so  I  say  a  squab  plant  well  taken  care  of 
is  the  best  money  maker  I  know  today. 

POISONED  PEAS,  by  C.  W.  Blanding.     I 

found  it  extremely  hard  to  procure  Canada 
peas,  and  to  take  their  place  I  bought  some 
peas  of  a  dealer  which  he  recommended  as 
pigeon  peas.  In  less  than  two  weeks  my  birds 
were  all  dead  with  the  exception  of  a  few  pairs. 
A  careful  examination  proved  that  the  peas 
had  been  doped  to  prevent  the  worms  from 
bothering  them,  as  they  are  very  poor  sellers. 
You  can  bet  now  that  I  know  what  my  feed 
is  when  I  buy  it. 

Question:  No  two  accounts  agree  as  to  the 
average  yearly  increase  from  working  pairs  of 
pigeons,  and  I  am  at  sea  as  to  what  I  might 
reasonably  expect  from  say  fifty  pairs  in  one 
year  under  favorable  circumstances.  Answer: 
Accounts  differ  with  regard  to  the  average 
yearly  increase  of  a  flock  of  birds,  because  the 
ability  of  each  breeder  varies.  It  depends 
mostly  on  yourself  what  you  will  do  with  a 
flock  of  pigeons.  If  you  are  skilful  you  will 
get  the  maximum  results.  If  you  are  not 
skilful  you  will  get  the  minimum  results.  If 
you  have  average  ability  you  will  get  average 
results.  It  is  impossible  for. anybody  to  pre- 
dict what  you  will  do  at  squab  raising. 

A  buyer  appreciates  that  prices  mean  very 
little  when  he  puts  $20  into  a  lot  of  pigeons, 
obtains  twice  the  number  obtainable  for  the 
same  money  elsewhere,  but  finds  on  getting  the 
birds  from  the  express  company  that  perhaps 
one-third  of  them  are  desirable,  and  he  can  get 
no  relief,  frequently  not  even  an  answer  to 
letters.  It  is  our  belief  that  the  customer  is  the 
best  judge  of  what  is  shipped  him,  that  the 
pigeons  themselves  talk  more  convincingly  than 
printed  matter  or  letters. 


APPENDIX    G 


335 


RAISING    SQUABS    BY 
HAND,  by  E.  Guenther,  M.D. 

My  squabhouse  recently  fin- 
ished is  i  fourteen  by  twenty 
feet  and  cost  $150.  I  put  tin 
pans  on  top  of  the  posts  under 
the  sills  to  keep  rats  and  mice 
from  working  up.  On  October 
2,  I  took  out  thirteen  squabs 
(Homers)  which  weighed  four- 
teen pounds.  During  the  sum- 
mer I  lost  a  pair  of  Homers 
which  had  hatched  out  a  pair 
of  young  Carneaux.  The  young 
birds  were  thirteen  days  old 
when  the  old  ones  flew  away. 
They  were  yellow  Carneaux 
and  I  was  very  anxious  to  raise 
them,  so  I  got  my  boy  Harold 
to  look  after  them.  One  of  the 
pictures  shows  Harold  feeding 
one  of  them  by  mouth,  which 
was  the  way  they  were  first 
nourished.  When  they  were 
older  they  were  fed  with  a 
spoon.  They  are  now  in  the 
rearing  coop  and  doing  well. 
The  other  picture  shows  Harold 
and  my  girl  Blanche  feeding  a  young  Carneau 
with  a  spoon. 

SIX  DOLLARS  A  DOZEN,  by  George  N. 

Childs.  I  am  having  good  luck  with  my 
Homers.  I  have  quite  a  few  calls  for  squabs. 
I  can  get  six  dollars  a  dozen  for  them.  I  follow 
Rice's  Manual  to  the  letter  and  find  it  to  be 
just  the  right  thing.  I  would  not  take  $25  for 
it  if  I  could  not  get  another  copy.  I  sell  my 
squabs  to  private  families.  They  made  the 
price  themselves  and  are  willing  to  pay  six 
dollars  a  dozen.  This  Pennsylvania  town  is 
very  rich  and  I  can  sell  all  the  squabs  I  can 
turn  out.  I  cannot  say  enough  or  too  much 
for  the  squab  business  or  my  birds.  There 
was  a  man  here  this  morning  from  a  New 
York  town  and  he  said  he  had  been  to  see  a 
squab  plant  there  which  had  seven  hundred 
birds,  but  had  not  any  to  come  up  to  mine.  I 
am  going  to  have  a  picture  taken  of  my  place 
and  will  send  you  one. 

FLYING  PEN  ON  EAST  SIDE  OF  BUILD- 
ING, by  M.  C.  Martin.  For  warm  climates, 
I  think  the  flying  pen  should  face  the  east 
instead  of  the  south.  In  the  summer  when  it 
is  so  intensely  hot,  if  the  pen  faces  the  south, 
the  sun  shines  on  the  flying  pen  all  day  long, 
and  except  in  the  early  morning  and  late  in  the 
evening  the  birds  must  stay  in  the  squabhouse 
to  escape  the  sun.  If  the  pen  faces  the  east, 
shortly  after  noon  there  is  shade  in  the  flying 
pen,  and  all  the  birds  off  of  eggs  will  be  found 
njoying  the  shade,  and  very  few  suffer  during 
the  hot  season.  In  the  winter  the  flying  pen 
should  have  a  windbreak  on  the  north  side, 
then  remove  this  in  the  spring  again. 

My  pian  for  perches  in  the  flying  pen  is  to 
have  six-inch  boards  all  around  the  sides  of  the 
pen.  One  may  have  two  or  three  tiers  of 


RAISING   SQUABS    BY    HAND. 


boards  on  a  side  if  needed.     This  leaves  more 
flying  space  in  the  pen  than  the  ladder  system. 

Question:  I  have  a  good-sized  flock  of 
Homers  which  have  been  working  fine,  but 
recently  I  bought  two  pairs  of  Carneaux. 
One  pair  worked  all  right,  but  the  other  pair 
although  they  are  mated  do  not  work  properly, 
so  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
Carneaux  are  not  so  good  as  the  Homers  and 
I  think  I  will  stick  to  the  Homers.  Answer: 
It  has  been  my  experience  that  a  party  will 
buy,  say  ten  pairs  of  Homers  and  be  well 
satisfied  if  eight  or  nine  pairs  go  to  work  soon. 
On  account  of  the  expense  of  Carneaux,  they 
may  buy  only  two  pairs.  They  expect  both 
pairs  to  be  perfect  breeders  under  the  change 
of  circumstances,  although  they  do  not  expect 
an  absolutely  perfect  percentage  with  their 
Homers.  It  is  a  well-known  law  stated  by  all 
competent  observers,  that  some  pigeons  will 
breed  properly  only  when  at  their  old  home 
or  with  their  old  partners.  It  is  also  true  that 
birds  which  breed  properly  in  one  pen  may 
not  do  so  if  sold  and  shipped  away  to  a  new 
pen.  Therefore,  in  every  flock  there  may  be 
some  pigeons  coming  under  these  exceptions. 
Such  birds  should  be  mated  up  with  new  birds, 
or  later  on  with  birds  of  your  own  raising. 
It  is  impossible  to  do  much  breeding  with 
Carneaux,  or  with  any  pigeons,  unless  you 
have  from  three  pairs  to  twelve  pairs,  so  as  to 
have  some  material  with  which  to  work.- 
Anybody  who  buys  one  pair  of  birds  and  figures 
on  perfect  results  is  taking  a  chance. 

From  the  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 
that  I  bought  and  received  May  first  this  year,  I 
have  one  hundred  pairs,  some  of  which  are 
beginning  to  mate;  will  have  a  big  bunch 
mated  up  by  spring. — A.  E.  Perkins,  Iowa. 


336 


APPENDIX    G 


TELEPHONE  SQUAB  SALES  $6-$9  A 
DOZEN,  by  R.  E.  Sons.  Having  read  all  the 
books  relating  to  pigeons  and  carefully  thought 
over  the  matter,  I  decided  to  try  as  an  experi- 
ment forty-eight  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers  and  to  see  for  myself  if  I  had  any 
demand  for  squabs.  When  they  arrived  I 
was  well  pleased  with  their  looks  and  was  better 
pleased  when  I  saw  them  getting  busy  ten 
days  after  their  arrival.  Then  when  my  first 
squabs  hatched  I  commenced  to  look  for  ways 
and  means  to  sell. 

The  markets  were  selling  them  at  forty 
cents  each  so  I  decided  to  try  -fifty  cents  each. 
I  inserted  a  small  advertisement  in  the  local 
paper  but  could  trace  no  business  there.  I 
then  wrote  several  prominent  people  and 
received  two  answers,  each  with  orders  too 
large  for  me  to  fill.  I  then  started  in  to  call 
the  wealthy  ladies  by  telephone,  asking  them 
if  they  would  like  some  fresh  killed  squabs, 
as  I  had  so  many  for  sale,  and  by  this  means 
I  sold  my  first  birds.  This  I  continued, 
always  calling  new  people,  and  when  I  de- 
livered my  squabs  I  always  placed  my  card 
on  the  package  and  requested  the  cook  to 
keep  the  card  in  a  conspicuous  place,  and 
when  she  wanted  fresh  killed  squabs  to  call 
me  by  telephone. 

Soon  orders  were  coming  in  far  beyond  my 
supply.  I  theti  ordered  fifty  pairs  more  Homer 
breeders  from  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab 
Company.  As  soon  'as  they  were  working 
and  I  was  able  to  market  their  squabs  I  found 
I  could  not  meet  the  demand.  I  ordered 
again  fifty  pairs  more,  but  even  then  I  could 
only  meet  about  half  the  orders. 

My  plant  has  always  been  open  to  inspec- 
tion and  I  tamed  my  first  pen  so  that  they 
would  come  and  eat  hempseed  out  of  the  hand. 
This  was  a  great  success  for  many  wealthy 
people  stopped  to  see  how  squabs  were  raised 
and  I  found  I  sold  quite  a  lot  simply  because 
they  would  eat  out  of  the  hand.  These  I 
sold  for  pet  squabs.  I  weaned  them  when  they 
were  four  weeks  old  and  received  from  nine 
to  twelve  dollars  a  dozen.  I  refused  all  offers 
for  the  old  birds. 

Some  of  the  wealthy  people  thought  that 
fifty  cents  was  too  high  as  the  markets  had 
by  this  time  cut  their  prices  to  thirty  and 
thirty-five  cents  each,  but  I  explained  how  I 
plucked  and  chilled  the  birds,  which  were  only 
killed  upon  order,  and  that  if  they  would  try 
a  small  order,  they  would  be  convinced. 
Some  would  place  an  order  for  one  and  two 
and  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  they  would  try  to 
get  my  squabs,  and  if  I  was  sold  out  then  go 
to  the  market. 

All  this  summer  I  have  received  fifty  cents 
each  for  killed  squabs  four  weeks  old,  seventy 
five  cents  for  live  squabs  five  weeks  old  and 
one  dollar  for  six  weeks  old,  weaned  and  trained 
to  eat  and  care  for  themselves.  I  have  not 
at  any  time  had  any  squabs  ready  to  kill  that 
I  have  not  had  an  order  on  my  books  to  fill. 
In  fact,  I  have  not  had  a  chance  to  eat  one 
myself.  I  have  four  more  units  about  half 
completed  which  I  will  fill  with  Homers  as 


I  believe  they  turn  out  squabs  that  are  just 
right  for  the  home  market. 

For  canker,  I  put  three  drops  of  squab-fe-no. 
in  one-half  a  glass  of  water  tor  a  wash,  using 
a  small  swab.  I  then  powder  the  throat 
with  half  Venetian  red  and  half  burnt  alum, 
and  find  that  this  mixture  works  quickly, 
effecting  the  desired  cure. 

Here  is  a  record  to  date  (March,  1910)  of 
the  three  pairs  of  Extra  Homers  bought  of 
you  last  March,  1909.  It  is  a  record  you  can 
be  proud  of.  I  will  swear  that  it  is  correct, 
as  I  have  them  banded  and  keep  a  book  to 
record  them.  Pair  No.  1  hatched  April  1 
(1909)  2  squabs;  May  12,  2;  June  18,  2;  July 
21,  2;  August  24,  1;  September,  none;  October 

4,  2;   November  14,  2;  January  8  (1910),  1; 
February    20,    2.     Total,     16    squabs    in     10 
months.     At  present  date  (March  20)  building 
another   nest.     Pair    No.    2    hatched    April   5 
(1909),  1  squab;  May  18,  2;  June  24,  1;  July 
28,  2;  August,  none;  September  1,1;  October 

5,  2;  November,  none;  December  1,  2;  January 
26  (1910).  1 ;  March  8,  2.     Total  14  squabs  in 
10   months.     At   present   (March    20),   sitting 
on  two  eggs.     Pair   No.   3   hatched   April   15 
(1909),  2  squabs;  May  27,  2;  June,  none;  July 
15,  2;  August  28,  2;  September,  none;  October 
11,    2;    November,    none;     December    11,    2; 
January  (1910),  none;  February  6,  2.     Total, 
14  squabs  in    10  months.     From  these  three 
pairs  I  have  now  twelve  working  pairs  of  birds 
that  I  have  yet  to  see  the  equal  of  in  California. 
I  hope  this  record  may  be  of  some  use  to  you, 
and  it  will  be  if  you  are  as  proud  of  it  as  I  am. 
I  never  had  raised  a  pigeon  in  my  life   until  I 
received    your    birds.     You    gave    me    a    fair 
and  square  deal  both  on   my   Extra   Homers 
and  Carneaux.     I  follow  your  Manual  from  A 
to    Z.     The    results   speak   for   themselves. — 
Fred  M.  Parkison,  California. 

I  have  adopted  a  way  for  holding  my  nest 
material  which  you  can  print  if  you  wish.  On 
the  wire  partitions  between  units,  at  the  bot- 
toms I  put  a  thirty-inch  width  of  the  wire, 
fasten  this  at  bottom  and  ends,  fill  from  the 
top  with  stems,  straw,  etc.  This  makes  a 
clean  pocket  for  keeping  the  nest  material  in 
the  pens,  and  it  also  makes  a  good  break  from 
wind  caused  by  the  flying  of  the  birds.  Don't 
cut  wire  to  make  this.  Use  a  regular  made 
width,  then  you  have  the  edges  in  shape. — 
W.  E.  Blakslee,  New  York. 

I  am  very  proud  of  my  flock  of  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers.  From  the  twenty-four  pairs  I 
bought  a  year  ago,  I  now  have  two  hundred 
and  eighty-eight  birds,  all  beauties.  My 
neighbors  and  every  one  who  sees  them  say 
they  are  lovely.- — Mary  R.  Forbes,  New  York. 

I  have  four  hundred  working  Homers. 
They  are  producing  seven  pairs  of  large  squabs 
to  each  pair  of  breeders  a  year.  Half  of  these 
breeders  are  too  young  to  do  their  best.  I 
hope  to  enlarge  my  plant  in  the  near  future. — 
D.  D.  Powell,  California. 


APPENDIX    G 


337 


HOW  TO  JUDGE  WHEAT  FOR  SQUAB 
RAISING.  I  have  found,  in  travelling  over 
all  parts  of  the  country,  that  there  is  a  great 
difference  in  wheat.  It  is  divided  into  the  two 
general  classes  of  red  wheat  and  white  wheat. 
There  is  also  winter  wheat,  which  is  planted  in 
late  summer  in  time  for  it  to  send  up  its  blades 
or  leaves,  then  remains  like  this  over  winter 
and  starts  to  grow  again  with  the  first  opening 
of  spring,  thus  having  a  long  or  full  season  to 
mature  or  ripen  in.  Spring  wheat  is  wheat 
planted  in  the  spring,  thus  having  but  a  short 
season  to  mature  and  ripen,  for  the  farmer  has 
to  wait  until  the  ground  is  sufficiently  thawed 
and  dried  out  to  work  it. 

The  very  best  staple  feed  for  pigeons  every- 
where on  this  continent  is  the  first  or  best 
quality  of  the  red,  winter  wheat  —  the  same 
as  is  used  for  making  the  best  quality  of  flour. 
Necessarily,  this  is  the  most  expensive  wheat 
in  cost,  but  the  cheapest  feed,  all  things  con- 
sidered, for  squab  raising.  In  appearance,  it 
is  copper-colored,  well  filled  out  or  smooth  on 
the  surface,  not  puckered  or  wrinkled,  clear 
colored,  almost  transparent  like  a  small  chip  or 
a  fine  specimen  of  brown  flint,  not  cloudy.  It 
should  be  well  seasoned,  dry  and  hard  to  bite. 
This  kind  of  wheat  is  not  offered  for  sale  on  the 
general  market  and  it  takes  a  fairly  skilful 
buyer  to  procure  it.  It  can  seldom  or  never  be 
bought  by  the  bag  except  direct  from  the 
farmer  or  possibly  from  the  flour  mills,  and  the 
flour  mills  would  only  let  you  have  the  poorest 
of  this  grade. 

Next  to  this,  in  desirability  for  pigeons,  is  the 
number  one,  red,  winter  wheat  often  sold  by 
grain  dealers.  Then  comes  the  number  two, 
red,  winter  wheat  which  may  have  considerable 
wild  seeds  and  some  chaff  mixed  with  it  and  it 
may  be  somewhat  shrivelled  or  wrinkled.  This 
last  is  not  objectionable  for  squab  raising  if 
the  kernels  are  clear,  transparent-like  and  hard. 
But  if  the  majority  of  the  kernels  are  cloudy 
and  especially  if  they  are  soft  or  easy  to  bite, 
I  would  never  buy  it.  In  some  sections,  the 
screenings  of  this  red,  winter  wheat  can  be  had 
cheaply  and  it  is  not  objectionable  if  the 
kernels  are  clear  and  hard,  as  stated  above. 

The  next  on  the  list  is  red,  spring  wheat. 
Though  not  so  good  as  the  winter  wheat,  it  is 
all  right  to  use,  provided  the  kernels  are  clear 
and  hard.  It  hasn't  as  much  nourishment  for 
pigeons  and  is  more  likely  to  be  soft  or  im- 
mature and  hence  cloudy.  Any  genuine,  red 
wheat,  although  cloudy,  may  be  fed  to  pigeons 
without  serious  harm,  but  it  will  not  produce 
the  results  you  are  looking  for  with  the  squabs, 
neither  in  quality  nor  number.  If  this  last 
kind  has  to  be  used  more  peas  and  hempseed 
should  be  given. 

White  wheat  may  be  fed  for  squab  breeding, 
if  handled  with  judgment,  in  any  part  of  the 
country,  if  it  is  impossible  to  get  the  red  wheat. 

Wheat  of  any  kind,  which  has  been  ' '  heated  ' ' 
and  has  the  slightest  musty  smell,  or  has  the 
slightest  amount  of  bluish  mould  or  dust  on  it, 
must  not  be  fed  to  pigeons.  It  is  much  easier 
to  find  good  wheat  and  to  detect  it  if  it  has 
been  spoiled  than  it  is  to  judge  cracked  corn. 


BEST  WAY  TO  FEED  SALT,  by  Edward  G. 
Rice.  I  have  heard  many  people  say  that 
coarse  ground  salt  is  all  right  for  pigeons.  In 
my  experience  it  is  not.  The  pigeons  when 
eating  will  sometimes  get  too  much  and  it  will 
kill  them.  I  used  it  for  a  while,  but'  of  course 
when  it  began  to  kill  my  pigeons  I  stopped  it. 


It  is  best  to  put  a  lump  of  rock  salt  in  a  box  of 
grit  or  gravel  and  wet  it  thoroughly  every  day. 
The  pigeons  will  eat  this  grit  or  gravel  after  it 


has  been  flavored  by  the  salt  and  you  will  find 
that  it  keeps  them  very  healthy.  It  is  almost 
as  necessary  for  pigeons  to  have  salt  as  it  is 
for  them  to  have  feed  and  water;  that  is,  if 
you  expect  them  to  keep  in  good  condition  and 
work. 

TEN  CENTS  A  PAIR  A  MONTH,  WEST 
VIRGINIA,  by  J.  L.  Wallace.  I  have  kept  a 
record  of  the  feed,  and  find  that  my  Homers 
cost  me  ten  cents  a  pair  a  month,  or  $1.20  a 
year.  I  have  now  moved  into  my  new  home 
and  want  to  make  arrangements  to  get  my 
squab  plant  fitted  up  as  soon  as  possible.  I 
work  in  the  bank  from  8  a.m.  until  4  p.m., 
which  gives  me  ample  time  to  look  after  a  good- 
sized  flock. 

I  wish  to  join  the  National  Squab  Breeders' 
Association.  Please  enter  my  name,  also  that 
of  Fred  Le  Blond,  Jr.  Send  two  buttons. 
The  Homers  that  I  bought  of  the  Plymouth 
Rock  Squab  Company  are  the  handsomest  and 
best  birds  that  I  have.  I  sold  off  every  one  of 
the  old  ones  and  now  have  my  loft  full  of  the 
offspring.  They  are  certainly  fine  birds.  The 
squabs  weigh  from  nine  to  twelve  pounds  a 
dozen.  I  have  turned  the  entire  financial 
part  of  the  business  over  to  my  boy,  who  is 
ten  years  old,  and  even  if  it  does  cost  me  money 
each  month,  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  to  pay  it 
for  the  splendid  training  it  is  giving  him.  He 
keeps  an  accurate  account  of  all  money,  pays 
himself  a  salary,  and  just  about  breaks  even. 
I  consider  training  a  "young '  boy  along  these 
lines  to  be  invaluable,  as  it  gives  him  a  fair 
insight  into  business  methods,  and  not  only  in 
handling  the  business  itself,  but  in  teaching 
him  the  importance  of  watching  details  so  as  to 
insure  success. — F.  E.  Le  Blond,  Ohio. 

I  sent  you  in  a  couple  of  orders  a  few  days 
ago  and  from  time  to  time  you  will  hear  from 
me,  as  my  birds  are  giving  you  some  fine  adver- 
tising in  these  parts.  Of  course  you  know  as 
I  do  that  it  is  the  man  behind  the  gun  and  I 
tell  these  people  that  when  the  birds  arrive, 
they  will  be  all  right  and  just  like  mine,  but 
it  is  up  to  them  to  get  the  same  results  that  I 
do.  My  short  experience  with  your  firm  has 
convinced  me  that  you  have  the  stock  all  right 
and  that  you  are  responsible  in  every  respect. 
—  A.  Perm  Krumbhaar,  Louisiana. 

I  began  my  plant  with  four  pairs  of  Extra 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  in  April,  1910,  and  I 
now  (April,  1911)  have  over  ninety  strong, 
healthy  birds  including  twenty-six  mated 
couples. —  Ethel  M.  Watson,  California. 


338 


APPENDIX   G 


APPENDIX    G 


339 


SQUAB  SUPPLY  FALLS  SHORT  OF 
DEMAND,*  by  Burton  T.  Beacb.  Epicures  are 
coming  to  think  that  squab  on  toast  is  as 
appetizing  as  quail  on  toast,  provided  the  bird 
is  bred  scientifically,  killed  at  the  right  moment 
and  properly  kept  in  the  larder. 

Squab  meat  is  one  of  the  few  forms  of  food 
the  supply  of  which  falls  absolutely  short  of  the 
demand  in  the  United  States.  Scores  of  ban- 
quets given  last  winter  in  New  York,  Chicago, 
Philadelphia  and  Boston  were  arranged  with- 
out squabs  in  the  menus  for  the  sole  reason  that 
it  was  not  possible  to  get  enough  to  go  around. 

"My  chef,"  said  the  proprietor  of  the  famous 
Manhattan  hotel,  "  tried  to  gather  eight  hun- 
dred squabs  for  a  dinner  in  February.  The 
committee  insisted  that  we  get  them.  After 
searching  the  markets  and  squab  farms  and 
cold  storage  houses  all  we  could  find  was  five 
hundred,  and  we  had  to  cut  out  squabs.  Very 
likely  there  will  be  a  similar  shortage  next 
winter.  And  it  will  be  a  genuine  shortage,  not 
an  artificial  one." 

The  first  solid  food  given  to  Mayor  Gaynor 
after  the  shooting  was  squab.  Medical  men 
are  more  and  more  inclined  to  prescribe  squab 
in  the  dietary  of  invalids,  especially  children. 
One  of  the  most  nourishing  fluids  is  the  juice 
of  the  squab  killed  when  about  able  to  leave 
its  nest  voluntarily. 

Six  years  ago  the  business  had  a  boom,  but 
the  boom  soon  collapsed.  In  1907  there  was  a 
vigorous  revival:  improvement  has  been  con- 
tinuous. 

On  Long  Island,  near  New  York,  the  Misses 
Bohannan,  after  five  years  of  unremitting 
attention,  have  built  up  an  excellently  organized 
plant,  with  improved  modern  appliances,  and 
are  exploiting  a  flock  of  four  thousand  birds, 
soon  to  be  enlarged  by  half  as  many  more. 

One  who  never  had  met  them  save  at  a  social 
function  in  Manhattan  or  in  their  parlor  at 
Knollside  Farm  would  not  suspect  that  they 
knew  any  more  about  pigeons  than  could  be 
learned  from  books  or  an  inspection  of  rare 
columbidse  at  the  zoological  gardens  or  a  visit 
to  the  Basilica  of  St.  Mark's,  in  Venice,  where 
the  pigeons  are  a  whirling  wonder. 

Confronted  suddenly  with  the  necessity  of 
making  parental  capital  yield  at  least  four 
times  what  it  would  yield  if  deposited  in  savings 
banks  or  invested  in  securities,  they  decided 
to  try  squab  farming  as  likely  to  bring  a  better 
return  than  the  New  York  market  for  poultry. 
While  there  are  plants  larger  than  theirs  de- 
voted to  raising  "  breeding  birds,"  these  young 
women  have  the  satisfaction  of  owning  one 
of  the  largest  devoted  exclusively  to  raising 
squabs  for  food. 

Question:  I  have  my  nestboxes  numbered 
and  know  what  each  pair  does.  In  the  even- 
ing I  transfer  the  records  to  a  book,  and  thus 
know  from  week  to  week  where  I  stand.  I 
give  the  birds  quite  a  lot  of  bookkeeping. 
Answer:  It  is  easy  to  do  too  much  record 
keeping.  The  record  should  be  kept  either 
on  the  nestboxes  or  at  the  back  of  each  pen, 
and  in  a  card  index  kept  handy  in  the  squab- 


house.  Do  not  make  memoranda  which  later 
you  have  to  transfer.  Write  it  only  once,  for 
keeps.  Do  the  record-Keeping  in  the  squab- 
house,  otherwise  one  is  liable  to  spend  as  much 
time  over  his  records  as  over  his  pigeons, 
which  is  a  poor  use  of  time.  Evening  work, 
if  any  is  done,  should  be  devoted  to  writing 
letters  and  postal  cards,  advertising  matters, 
etc.,  pushing  sales.  The  marketing  is  quite 
as  important  as  the  raising,  that  is,  intelligent 
marketing  which  gives  the  breeder  a  fair  share 
of  the  money  which  the  consumer  pays. 

A  BIG  SQUAB  SHIPPER,  by  E.  L.  Kauff- 
man.  Please  send  me  the  Association  member- 
ship button.  I  think  your  ideas  are  all  right. 
Push  the  price  and  urge  more  squabs  eaten,  as 
all  squab  raisers  and  shippers  want  that. 
The  last  year  I  shipped  over  one  hundred 
thousand  squabs  to  the  New  York  market. 
We  seem  to  have  a  fine  country  for  squab- 
raising,  and  I  hope  it  may  come  to  be  one  of 
the  great  things.  Wish  you  good  success. 

This  is  not  an  uncommon  experience:  "  Be- 
fore I  commenced  to  correspond  with  you  I 
bought  five  pairs  of  Homers  of  a  dealer  near 
home  and  I  got  eight  cocks  and  two  hens,  and 
he  will  not  exchange  back  so  I  can  mate  mine 
up.  Now,  I  am  about  ready  to  get  the  ones  I 
had  written  you  about,  special  offer  No.  2,  and 
I  would  like  to  get  also  six  of  the  No.  1  hens 
to  mate  with  the  six  odd  cocks  I  have.  If 
you  can  fill  the  order  in  this  way  I  will  send 
the  money  as  soon  as  I  hear  from  you."  —  H.  W. 
Nims,  Minnesota. 

I  entered  my  five  pairs  of  pigeons,  each 
ite   Malt 


of  solid  red  Carneaux,  white  Maltese,  white 
Plymouth  Rock  Extra  Homers,  blue  checker 
Plymouth  Rock  Extra  Homers,  and  blue 
checker  Swiss  Mondaines,  at  Seymour,  Colum- 
bus and  Franklin  Poultry  Shows  (Indiana) 
and  captured  all  fifteen  first  premiums,  or 
five  first  premiums  at  each  show.  Our  judges 
said  that  my  birds  cannot  be  beaten.  Don't 
you  think  it  is  a  good  record  to  win  fifteen 
straight  first  premiums?  —  George  S.  Beyer, 
Indiana. 

The  pigeons  which  I  bought  from  you  a 
little  more  than  a  year  ago  (six  pairs  Plymouth 
Rock  White  Homers  and  six  pairs  Plymouth 
Rock  No.  1  Homers)  are  certainly  fine,  and 


I   now  (June  27)  have  nearly  three   hundred 

ind  they  are  splendid  pig« 
at    present   two    pairs   that   have   three    fine 


birds 


^Copyright,  1910,  by  the  New  York  Herald  Co.    All  rights  reserved. 


juabs  each  and  also  one  pair  sitting  on  four 
eggs.  I  haven't  been  trying  to  dispose  of  any 
as  yet,  but  in  a  month  or  two  I  am  going  to  be 
in  a  position  to  sell  quite  a  lot  of  squabs. — 
E.  G.  Davidson,  Illinois. 

The  three  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 
I  bought  in  March,  1910,  multiplied  so  fast 
that  up  to  November  inclusive,  I  raised  thirty- 
four  squabs,  and  every  one  of  these  weighed 
one  pound  apiece  alive  when  four  weeks  old. — 
John  N.  Moeller,  Connecticut. 


340 


APPENDIX    G 


MR.    LLOYD   PAID   $50    FOR   THIS    H( 
It  is  an  investment  because  he  sells  for  good  prices 
bred  from  her. 

Question:  I  send  you  a  newspaper  clipping 
showing  today's  San  Francisco  quotations: 

F'geons  $1.50  a  dozen,  squabs  $2.50  a  dozen, 
spoke  to  a  Chinaman  the  other  day  and 
asked  him  what  he  asked  for  squabs  and  he 
said  fifty  cents  each.  He  showed  me  some 
and  they  were  common  pigeons.  The  China- 
men are  big  squab  eaters.  Would  it  pay  me 
to  ship  to  Eastern  markets  in  large  lots  or 
would  you  seek  a  home  market?  Answer: 
Sell  squabs  right  where  you  are.  Your  present 
doubt  is  caused  by  assuming  that  those  figures 
you  saw  in  the  newspaper  are  correct,  just 
because  they  were  in  print.  As  I  explain 
periodically,  those  figures  are  what  the  commis- 
sion men  would  like  to  pay  to  get  the  squabs, 
not  what  they  are  obliged  to  pay  a  breeder  of 
intelligence.  The  Chinaman  gave  you  the 
straight  tip.  He  said  $6  a  dozen,  therefore 
sell  at  wholesale  at  $3  and  $4  a  dozen. 

For  scouring  out  the  drinking  fountains  and 
bathpans,  I  use  baking  soda  and  scalding  hot 
water.  This  cleans  and  purifies  the  vessels 
and  leaves  them  fresh  and  sweet. — James  Y. 
Egbert,  West  Virginia. 

My  birds  are  coming  on  so  fast  that  I  have 
to  build  larger  quarters  for  them.  The  demand 
for  squabs  here  continues  very  good,  prices, 
too. — Walter  I.  Hayes,  Colorado. 


)MER. 

the  racing  stock 


$50.00  PAID  FOR  A  MILE- 
A-MINUTE  FLYER,  by  Alfred 
Lloyd.  I  have  bought  for  $50 
the  Atlantic  combine  winner 
(see  photograph)  which  won 
the  three-hundred-mile  race  in 
the  Maiden  district.  This  Ho- 
mer is  the  best  hen  in  the  United 
States  flown  in  1909.  She  was 
competing  against  thirty  dis- 
tricts, two  hundred  lofts,  1274 
birds  in  the  contest.  The  race 
was  from  Midland,  Ontario,  to 
Everett,  Massachusetts.  This 
bird  made  a  speed  of  1753.22 
yards,  or  very  nearly  a  mile  a 
minute.  One  of  my  customers 
flew  a  bird  that  he  bred  off  of 
birds  which  he  bought  from  me 
in  the  greater  Boston  concourse 
race.  He  won  first  diploma 
in  Maiden  district  and  won 
third  diploma  and  third  cup 
with  1864  yards  a  minute.  This 
Homer  is  a  straight  bird  im- 
ported by  the  Plymouth  Rock 
Squab  Company.  The  man  who 
flew  the  bird  is  Joseph  McKane, 
of  Maiden  district.  The  race 
was  flown  October  17,  1909. 

I  stopped  at  the  Kirkwood 
Hotel,  one  of  the  leading  hotels 
of  Des  Moines,  and  asked  what 
they  were  paying  for  Homer 
squabs,  and  I  found  they  were 
paying  $4.25  a  dozen  for  those 


weighing  seven  pounds  or  over 
-  asked  if    ' 

present, 
they  are  getting  a  regular  supply  from  some 


to  the  dozen.     I 


and  they  said  they  could  not  at 


they  could  use  any. 


one  out  of  town;  but  they  told  me  of  two  other 
hotels  that  can  use  quite  a  number  at  the  same 
price,  so  I  consider  our  home  market  pretty 
good. —  Charles  Starkey,  Iowa. 

I  could  have  sold  the  last  order  of  pigeons  a 
dozen  times  over,  but  none  of  my  pigeons  are 
for  sale.  I  was  quite  proud  of  the  comments 
and  attention  they  received  at  the  depot.  You 
selected  a  fine  bunch  of  birds,  and  I  sincerely 
thank  you.  If  I  have  occasion  to  order  more 
soon,  you  will  get  my  order. — Dr.  I.  B.  Thomp- 
son, California. 

If  you  will  look  at  your  books,  you  will  find 
I  bought  three  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 
of  you  about  two  years  ago.  I  have  sold  about 
$100  worth  of  squabs  outside  of  what  we  have 
used  ourselves.  At  the  present  time  I  have 
about  nine  dozen  mated  pairs. — John  Freel, 
Illinois. 

I  have  the  beginnings  of  a  really  good  pigeon 
plant  of  the  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers. 
From  the  original  eight  birds  which  I  bought 
in  April,  1910,  I  have  now,  January  26,  1911, 
.seventy  fine  birds.— Ethel  M.  Watson,  Cali- 


APPENDIX    G 


341 


DO  NOT  HELP  SQUABS  OUT  OF  THE 
SHELL,  by  M.  C.  Martin.  I  have  received 
inquiries  about  squabs  dying  in  the  shell. 
Some  have  said  that  they  had  helped  dozens 
of  young  out  of  the  shells  and  that  many  of 
them  had  died  in  the  shells,  and  many  that 
they  helped  out  died  later. 

I  had  the  same  experience  several  years  ago. 
I  used  to  become  impatient  after  the  eggs  were 
"pipped,"  and  have  killed  many  a  squab  by 
helping  it  out  of  the  shell  before  it  was  ready. 
Some  young  break  the  shell  slightly  two  or 
three  days  before  they  get  out,  others  come  out 
quicker,  but  for  pity's  sake  let  the  eggs  alone 
and  do  not  try  to  get  the  squabs  out  ahead  of 
time.  A  little  one  that  cannot  get  out  of  the 
shell  itself  is  not  worth  helping  out,  for  it  is 
not  healthy  and  will  very  likely  die  anyway, 
but  the  harm  is  this:  You  kill  so  many  good 
young  by  pulling  them  out  before  they  are 
ready.  One  writer  stated  that  the  young 
seemed  stuck  fast  to  the  shell  and  she  had  to 
pull  them  out.  The  young  were  very  likely  all 
right  had  she  just  left  the  eggs  alone  and  let 
the  young  run  their  own  business,  viz.,  getting 
out  of  the  shell.  "  Care  killed  a  cat,"  and  it 
has  killed  many  a  pigeon  as  well. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  squab  breeders,  those 
who  are  too  stingy  to  feed  a  sufficient  amount 
of  the  higher  priced  foods  or  luxuries,  and  the 
other  class  who  treat  their  birds  like  pet 
canaries,  and  feed  too  much  of  the  rich  foods. 

Don't  help  the  young  out  of  the  shell.  Let 
nature  attend  to  this. 

Don't  give  baths  excepting  on  warm  days  in 
winter  weather. 

Don't  be  stingy,  but  "  treat  "  your  birds  to 
the  luxuries  as  several  writers  have  indicated 
in  the  magazine  columns  in  their  bills  of  fare 
for  feeding. 

Don't  "  treat  "  the  birds  all  the  time  to 
luxuries  or  they  will  become  like  candy-fed 
children,  disordered  and  sickly. 

Don't  jump  at  conclusions  about  your  birds 
and  their  habits.  "  Make  haste  slowly,"  and 
study  the  birds. 

My  plant  now  consists  of  twelve  units,  and 
the  structure  is  fourteen  feet  wide  and  120 
feet  long.  Three  years  ago  I  started  with 
five  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  having 
no  intention  of  increasing  my  flock  this  soon, 
and  now  I  have  400  pairs  of  birds.  I  am  now 
building  another  structure  containing  six  units, 
sixty  feet  long  and  fourteen  feet  wide. — Frank 
Hucht,  Kansas. 

My  Homer  squabs  weigh  alive  as  I  sell  them, 
nine  or  ten  pounds  to  the  dozen.  The  Car- 
neaux  or  Carhomes  weigh  at  four  weeks  old, 
while  yet  on  the  nest,  one  pound  each,  or  about 
twelve  pounds  to  the  dozen,  average.  I  got 
my  first  pigeons  in  1906,  Plymouth  Rock  Extra 
Homers.  In  1908  I  got  Carneaux  same  place. 
— Graham  Roys,  Michigan. 

The  sunny  squab  breeders  are  the  successful 
ones.  Follow  the  failures  home  and  you  find 
debt,  gloom  and  snarling. 


REASON   WHY   SQUABS   DIE   IN   THE 

SHELL,  by  Elmer  C.  Rice.  Squabs  dying  in 
the  shell  have  puzzled  many.  In  all  such 
cases,  I  formerly  gave  these  causes:  a  damp 
loft  and  lack  of  vitality  due  to  improper  feeding. 
The  second  is  rather  indefinite,  being  a  result 
rather  than  a  cause.  I  have  no  doubts  now 
that  the  two  causes,  and  the  only  two  causes 
are:  dampness  and  lack  of  ventilation. 

I  have  been  keeping  track  of  letters  of  this 
kind  and  have  watched  to  see  the  results  of 
advice.  The  average  case  of  squabs  dying  in 
the  shell  is  mild,  affecting  only  a  few.  Be- 
ginning over  a  year  ago,  however,  Alfred 
Karker,  a  Wisconsin  correspondent,  had  an 
adventure  which  he  tells  as  follows:  "  Last 
year  I  wrote  you  asking  what  caused  the  squabs 
to  die  in  the  shell,  and  you  told  me  it  was 
either  a  damp  loft,  lack  of  vitality,  improper 
feeding.  Last  spring  I  lost  at  least  sixty  to 
seventy  squabs  this  way,  and  this  spring  I  am 
having  the  same  trouble.  I  have  been  feeding 
only  the  best  grains  and  as  you  direct  in  your 
Manual.  My  loft  is  in  the  hay-loft  of  my 
barn  directly  overhead  the  horses,  and  I  think 
the  steam  from  the  horses  goes  through  the 
ceiling  and  condenses  in  the  hay-loft  and 
causes  this  dampness.  In  cold  weather  the 
rafters  in  the  hay-loft  are  all  covered  with 
white  frost  which  shows  that  the  moisture  must 
come  from  the  horses  below.  What  would 
you  advise  me  to  do,  and  how  can  I  arrange 
it  to  overcome  this  trouble  without  changing 
the  location  of  the  loft?  I  am  a  subscriber 
to  the  magazine  and  think  it  the  best  published. 
Thank  you  for  any  information  you  can  give 
me." 

I  replied  as  follows,  February  25,  1910: 
"  That  trouble  is  surely  caused  by  dampness 
if  you  can  see  the  white  frost  on  the  timbers. 
You  can  dry  off  this  dampness  by  letting  more 
fresh  air  into  the  lofts.  You  should  arrange 
a  ventilator  so  as  to  get  plenty  of  fresh  air.  Do 
not  be  afraid  of  the  cold.  The  fresh  air  will 
dry  off  your  loft." 

April  21,  1910,  Mr.  Karker  again  wrote: 
"  Received  your  letter  of  February  25,  and  wish 
to  thank  you  for  the  advice  you  gave  in  regard 
to  dampness  in  my  loft.  Since  I  tried  your 
plan  I  have  had  no  more  trouble." 

In  other  words,  to  use  language  easily  remem- 
bered, squabs  in  the  shell  may  be  drowned 
by  too  much  water,  or  suffocated  by  bad  air. 
I  find  that  pigeon  breeders  able  to  tell  damp- 
ness when  they  see  it  are  as  scarce  as  those  able 
to  judge  grain.  In  case  of  doubt,  no  matter 
where  you  live,  summer  or  winter,  take  out 
your  windows  entirely  and  stretch  cotton  cloth. 
There  are  absolutely  no  sick  pigeons  or  squabs 
housed  in  dry,  open-front  houses  and  fed  o.i 
a  variety  of  sweet,  sound,  old  grain  and  grit. 
Ability,  or  lack  of  it,  to  control  health,  as  well 
as  profits,  is  in  the  caretaker. 

The  birds  you  sent  me  in  October,  1908,  are 
doing  fine  work,  also  those  shipped  to  me  last 
August.  I  have  one  red  checked  cock  raised 
from  your  No.  1  Homers  that  weighed  nineteen 
ounces  at  four  weeks. — Jerry  F.  Kaftan,  Ohio. 


342 


APPENDIX   G 


APPENDIX  G 


343 


I  SELL  SQUABS  AT  MY  DOOR  FOR  $5 
A  DOZEN,  by  Harriet  L.  Ayres.  I  have 
bought  the  share  in  chickens  and  pigeons  from 
the  young  woman  who  started  with  me,  so  I 
own  the  stock  now  complete.  I  began  three 
years  ago  last  September  with  six  pairs  of 
Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  They  started 
to  lay  within  two  weeks  after  they  arrived. 
I  purchased  six  pairs  more  Extras  of  the 
Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company  one  year 
ago  last  July.  I  have  raised  about  five  hun- 
dred. 

I  have  had  a  great  many  compliments  on 
my  pigeons  for  their  size  and  beauty  as  well  as 
for  their  hatching.  I  have  been  with  them 
and  watched  them  so  often  that  I  know  their 
little  ways  very  well.  I  find  it  very  interesting. 
I  have  kept  track  of  some  and  know  they  have 
hatched  nine  pairs  to  the  year.  They  average 
about  one  pound  apiece,  over  ten  pounds  to 
the  dozen.  I  get  $4.50  and  $5  a  dozen  right 
at  my  door  in  private  trade.  I  sell  them  for 
luncheons  and  for  the  sick  and  have  sold  some 


at  our  hotel  here  (New  Jersey). 

and  find  my      r 
on  that.     I  give  them  their  dainties  of  hemp 


I  feed  a  mixture 


birds  do  better 


and  Canada  peas  separately.  They  have 
plenty  of  fresh  well  water.  They  have  a  lump 
of  rock  salt,  and  oyster  shell,  pigeon  grit  and 
charcoal  before  them  all  the  time.  The 
sickness  I  have  had  would  not  be  worth 
mention  and  have  not  been  troubled  with 
lice,  as  I  believe  keeping  them  in  a  clean  place 
is  the  root  of  health. 

I  keep  a  cash  record  of  everything  and  will 
say  they  more  than  pay  for  themselves.  The 
pigeons  alone  paid  for  my  partner's  half  of 
poultry  and  pigeons  when  I  bought  her  out 
last  May  and  a  great  many  other  things  I 
have  not  the  room  to  mention.  I  am  pleased 
with  the  business  and  am  convinced  there  is 
money  in  it  and  expect  as  soon  as  I  can  get 
the  plans  and  material  to  put  up  two  unit 
in  that  busi 


houses    and    progress 


keep  on  raising  chickens  for  the  eggs  as  the  two 
are  well  combined.  I  consider  Rice's  Manual 
a  good  one.  If  followed,  one  cannot  help 
succeed.  I  have  found  experience  a  very 
good  teacher  but  one  must  love  the  work 
and  be  interested  in  the  birds  to  make  a  good 
success. 

On  three  previous  occasions  we  have  bought 
your  pigeons  and  found  them  satisfactory, 
especially  the  white  ones.  We  find  that  your 
birds  go  to  work  rapidly,  and  we  have  a  good 
demand  here  at  a  good  price.  —  Olympian 
Homer  Squab  Company,  Kentucky. 

My  stock  were  Homers  received  from  your 
company.  They  have  been  doing  excellent 
work  for  me.  I  began  the  business  in  a  very 
small  way  about  two  years  ago  with  three 
pairs'  now  I  have  about  250  breeders  on  hand. 
—  C.  H.  Burton,  Maryland. 

Squab  breeders,  don't  forget  that  no  one  is 
interested  in  your  getting  good  prices  for  good 
squabs  but  yourself. 


HOW  TO  CURE  PECKING,  by  Eleanor  G. 

Ames.  There  is  one  thing  I  have  to  offer 
which  may  be  of  help  to  the  breeders  who  have 
trouble  with  squabs  being  pecked.  It  is  a 
remedy  I  have  used  with  great  success.  Dust 
a  pinch  of  powdered  aristol  on  the  spot.  It 
will  cure  the  sore,  and  as  the  pigeons  do  not 
seem  to  like  either  the  taste  or  smell  of  the 
aristol,  the  squabs  are  let  alone.  The  powder 
is  quite  expensive,  but  a  little  will  last  a  long 
tune.  I  have  had  great  success  with  my 
Plymouth  Rock  Carneaux  as  breeders  of  squabs 
averaging  seventeen  ounces  each.  I  cannot 
supply  the  demand  for  squabs  among  my  own 
friends  and  acquaintances. 

I  have  one  Plymouth  Rock  squab  just 
three  weeks  old  that  weighs  one  pound,  two 
ounces.  I  think  there  is  some  class  to  the 
Plymouth  Rocks.  The  squab  is  a  Homer  and 
the  largest  I  have  raised.  I  have  about  three 
hundred  now.  We  get  $4.50  per  dozen  and 
all  we  have  sold  have  weighed  from  ten  to 
twelve  pounds  to  the  dozen,  which  I  think  is 
very  good.  I  bought  three  pairs  of  Carneaux 
from  another  party  over  a  year  ago.  One 
pair  has  done  very  well,  one  other  pair  laid  a 
few  times,  but  never  hatched  a  squab,  and  the 
third  pair  never  laid  for  the  whole  year,  and 
they  were  turning  gray  and  I  thought  I  had 
fed  them  long  enough,  so  killed  them.  If 
I  ever  get  any  more  it  will  be  from  the  Ply- 
mouth Rock 
New  York. 


Squab    Co.  —  A.    H.    Eldredge, 


In  looking  back  over  my  file  of  your  Squab 
Magazine,  I  find  that  I  have  received  twelve 
copies  of  the  paper  since  I  sent  you  my  last 
subscription  of  a  dollar,  and  as  I  would  not 
miss  a  copy  of  the  pigeon  man's  best  standby, 
the  Squab  Magazine,  I  am  sending  you  an 
express  money  order  for  one  dollar,  for  which 

?  lease  send  the  magazine  for  another  year. 
have  about  fifty  pairs  of  Homers,  as  fine, 
racy,  broad  chested  and  fast  breeders  as  any 
one  would  wish  to  own.  They  are  from 
Plymouth  Rock  stock  mostly  and  that  accounts 
for  it.  Though  only  in  the  business  one  year 
this  month,  I  find  that  poor  stock  at  any 
price  is  dear  and  as  for  my  part  I  wouldn't 
take  any  as  a  gift  and  mix  them  with  mine.  — 
R.  R.  Muirhead,  Washington. 

There  is  a  great  demand  for  squabs  in 
Colorado  Springs.  The  butcher  charges  eighty 
cents  a  pair  for  them.  Our  butcher,  while 
selling  us  a  pair  last  week,  said  that  he  thought 
they  made  the  most  popular  dish.  I  men- 
tioned the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co.  and  he 
said,  "  Their  squabs  are  quite  famous."  — 
Howard  B.  Carroll,  Colorado. 

I  hope  to  be  able  to  build  another  pigeon 
house  this  spring,  in  which  case  I  would  place 
an  order  for  birds  with  you  of  about  the  same 
number  as  last  year,  because  I  was  and  I  am 
well  satisfied  with  them.  —  Stefan  Schwarz, 
California. 


344 


APPENDIX  G 


HOMERS  ARE  THE  REAL 
MONEY  MAKERS,  by  J.  W. 
Arthurs.  My  experience  in  the 
squab  business  dates  from  the 
spring  of  1908.  I  use  tobacco 
stems  for  nest  material,  I  have 
absolutely  no  lice  trouble.  All 
my  houses  are  from  eighteen 
to  twenty-four  inches  off  the 
ground.  No  rat  trouble. 

I  weighed  all  feed  consumed 
by  one  hundred  pairs  for  one 
year.  It  totaled  7500  pounds, 
and  at  a  cost  of  two  cents  per 
pound  it  makes  the  feed  cost 
of  $1.50  per  pair.  In  the  same 
time  the  pigeons  produced  1300 
squabs  at  a  cost  per  squab  of 
eleven  and  one-half  cents  not 
including  cost  of  labor.  This 
year  feed  is  fully  fifteen  per  cent 
cheaper  than  last.  During  the 
four  summer  months  last  year 
I  sold  from  400  pairs,  1800 
squabs.  I  sell  all  squabs  to  a 
dealer  in  Philadelphia. 

I  have  tried    several    breeds 
of    pigeons    and    as  yet  have 
found   none  that  I  can  do    as 
well  with  as  the  Homer.     It  is 
a  wonderful  bird,  and  I  believe 
it  will  have  to  be  the  basis  of 
most  large    squab    plants    for 
some    time.     My    ideal    squab 
pigeon  is  one  that  has  the  many 
This  photograph  is  the  first  ever  printed  of  pure  white  Carneaux,     good   qualities   of    the    Homer 
obtained  by  breeding  out  the  red  of  the  splashed  birds,  exactly  the     and  that  will   produce  a  one- 
opposite  procedure  of  those  who  have  bred  out  the  white  to  get  all-    pound  squab.     I  weighed  this 
red  Carneaux.     Fully  ninety  per  cent  of  Carneaux  have  both    red    week  two   squabs  out  of   the 
and  white  in  their  plumage  and  these  two  colors  are  characteristic  of    same  nest,  eighteen  and  twenty- 


RED   AND   PURE   WHITE   CARNEAUX. 


the  breed. 

When  you  find  eggs  on  the  floor,  do  not 
throw  them  away  unless  they  are  broken  or 
cracked.  Some  of  my  best  pigeons  have  come 
from  eggs  that  I  have  found  on  the  floor. 
Put  an  egg  in  a  nest  that  has  only  one  egg  in  it. 
If  you  find  three  eggs  in  a  nest,  take  one  egg 
out  and  put  it  in  a  nest  where  there  is  only 
one.  —  Pruyne  Van  Alstyne,  New  York. 

The  Homers  that  I  bought  of  you  two  years 
ago  are  doing  fine.  The  squabs  at  four  weeks 
old  weigh  from  fourteen  to  sixteen  ounces 
apiece,  and  they  have  been  breeding  eleven 
pairs  a  year.  I  think  that  I  will  want  one  or 
two  pairs  of  Carneaux  in  the  spring.  —  Harvey 
C.  Jasperson,  Wisconsin. 

The  Homer  females  I  ordered  from  you 
arrived  today.  I  must  say  they  are  the  finest 
birds  I  ever  saw.  Your  Extra  Homers  must 


certainly  be  large  birds,  as  these  are  the  largest 
I  ever  saw.  When  I  order  again  I  will  know 
just  where  to  get  them.  —  Karl  Fach,  Jr.,  Mis- 
sissippi. 

Pigeons  which  are  observed  and  studied  are 
more  entertainment  and  less  work. 


three  ounces,  and  as  far  as  I 
know  they  are  straight  Homers. 
Personally,  I  am  delighted  with  the  raising 
of  squabs  as  a  business.  I  enjoy  the  work  and 
am  satisfied  with  the  result.  I  have  had  ex- 
perience with  chickens  and  can  obtain  the 
same  results  with  one-half  the  labor  with 
pigeons  as  I  could  with  chickens. 

The  birds  I  received  from  the  Plymouth 
Rock  Squab  Co.  October  31  pleased  me  very 
much.  Every  pair  is  sitting  on  eggs,  except 
one  pair  of  Maltese  with  squabs  five  days  old. 
Enclosed  you  will  find  Money  Order  for  $10 
for  which  send  me  six  pairs  more  of  your 
mammoth  crosses.  This  is  my  third  order. 
I  would  have  sent  you  a  larger  one  but  my  loft 
would  be  overcrowded,  as  I  now  have  a  large 
flock  of  Homers  which  I  raised  from  the  six 
pairs  of  No.  1  stock  purchased  of  you  January, 
1909.— Mrs.  Ada  T.  Hayden,  Massachusetts. 

A  little  thing  is  a  little  thing,  but  faithful- 
ness in  the  little  things  of  squab  breeding  is  a 
very  great  thing. 

More  squabs,  better  squabs,  higher  prices  for 
squabs.  More  business  squab  talk  and  less 
politics  and  personalities. 


APPENDIX  G 


345 


SQUABS  PROFITABLE  TO  ME  FOR 
FIFTEEN  YEARS,  by  William  P.  Gray.  We 

often  read  in  the  poultry  papers  of  hens  that 
do  phenomenal  laying  during  a  short  period 
of  time.  Usually  this  will  be  for  the  spring 
months,  with  no  account  given  for  the  fall 
laying.  Such  reports  are  of  little  value,  and  are 
misleading  to  the  novice.  Yearly  records  are 
what  count.  It  is  the  same  with  pigeons: 
the  birds  that  breed  through  the  fall  and  winter 
are  the  ones  that  raise  ten  pairs  of  squabs  a 
year  —  they  are  the  mortgage  lifters.  For 
the  past  fifteen  years,  pigeons  have  continued 
to  be  a  good  investment  with  me.  The  average 
cost  of  feed  per  year  for  a  pair  has  been  $1.20, 
and  I  have  never  sold  a  dozen  squabs  for  less 
than  $3  a  dozen.  My  birds  in  large  flocks 
always  average  better  than  twelve  squabs  per 
pair  per  year. 

I  have  been  engaged  in  the  poultry  business 
in  all  its  branches,  both  for  myself  and  manag- 
ing large  plants  for  others  profitably.  I  believe 
my  observations  are  of  some  value. 

The  advantages  of  squab  raising  over  broiler 
raising  are  briefly  as  follows: 

1.  One    thousand    squabs    can    be    raised 
successfully  on  a  plot  that  one  hundred  chicks 
would  be  crowded  on. 

2.  No  such  expensive  equipment  is  required 
to   raise   squabs,   as   with   broilers   on   a   large 
scale. 

3.  No  incubators  to  watch  or  cranky  setting 
hens  to  fuss  with. 

4.  Small   chicks   require    five    feeds    a    day 
and  constant  attention,  while  in  squab  raising 
with  a  hopper  filled  with  food  once  a  day,  the 
old  birds  attend  to  the  wants  of  the  squabs 
entirely. 

5.  Squabs  do  not  get  into  cold  corners  and 
get  chilled,  nor  wander  of.  in  the  bushes  and 
get  lost. 

6.  Squabs  do  not  require  a  range  where  they 
are  liable  to  become  the  prey  of  rats,  cats, 
hawks  and  crows. 

7.  The    death    rate    is    almost    nothing    in 
squab  raising,  while  it  is  something  appalling 
in  young  chickens. 

8.  Squabs  mature  in  one-third  the  time  that 
broilers  do. 

9.  Squabs  are  raised  the  year  round  at  a  good 
profit,  while  broilers  are  rarely  raised  success- 
fully more  than  six  months  in  the  year. 

10.  Three  squabs  can  be  picked  in  the  time 
it  takes  to  pick  one   broiler,   and  the  three 
squabs   will   sell   for    twice   as   much    as   one 
broiler. 

11.  No  need  of  getting  soaked  to  the  skin 
driving  stock  to  shelter  every  time  a  shower 
comes  up,  as  squabs  are  always  safe  in  their 
nest. 

12.  No  night  work  in  all  kinds  of  weather 
as   in    the    broiler    business,    stoking    coal    or 
standing  on  your  head  to  look  at  a  brooder 
lamp. 

13.  The  broiler  raiser  must  be  continually 
on    the    job.     He    has    no    Sundays    and    no 
holidays,  while  the  squab  raiser  can  often  with 
a  few  hours'  work  in  the  morning  filling  hoppers 
and  fountains  have  the  balance  of  day  himself. 


I  can  state  without  any  qualifications  that 
my  experience  has  proved  squab .  raising  to 
be  the  best  paying  branch  of  the  poultry 
industry.  Every  ten  cents'  worth  of  feed  used 
will  maintain  a  pair  "of  breeders  and  raise  a 
squab  selling  from  thirty  cents  to  fifty  cents. 

I  trust  these  facts  may  put  some  one  on  the 
right  track.  I  am  at  present  caring  for  1800 
head,  mostly  small  chicks,  also  hens,  pigeons, 
squabs,  ducks,  and  geese. 

SQUAB  ORDERS  TOO  LARGE  FOR  ME 
TO  FILL,  by  C.  S.  Eby.  I  am  going  to  make 
a  specialty  of  Carneaux,  as  I  am  having  good 
success  with  them.  I  started  in  a  four  by 
eight  chicken  coop  with  some  Homers.  I  then 
built  a  unit  squabhouse,  and  have  it  full  of 
Homers,  and  have  no  more  room  for  any  more 
units.  I  am  now  looking  for  a  larger  place 
so  as  to  go  into  the  business  on  a  larger  scale, 
having  the  desire  to  raise  them  by  the  thou- 
sand. I  still  get  from  sixty  to  seventy  cents 
a  pair  for  squabs  wholesale,  and  they  retail 
here  (Michigan)  at  ninety  cents  and  one  dollar.- 
I  have  been  doing  all  wholesale  business  and 
I  am  now  going  in  for  the  retail  trade.  I  can 
sell  all  the  squabs  at  sixty  cents  a  pair  and 
better.  The  only  trouble  I  have  is  that  the 
orders  are  larger  than  I  can  fill  and  that  makes 
it  hard  on  me.  A  few  weeks  ago  I  went  to  a 
market  downtown  and  inquired  about  squabs, 
and  the  marketman  told  me  he  sold  them 
whenever  he  could  get  them.  So  I  left  my 
telephone  number  with  him.  A  week  or  so 
later  he  telephoned  me  an  order  for  two  dozen. 
I  had  been  selling  right  along  and  did  not  have 
enough  squabs  to  fill  it,  so  he  told  me  his 
opinion  of  me.  I  resolved  not  to  advertise 
unless  I  am  sure  of  the  goods.  I  am  going  to 
move  into  a  place  where  I  can  raise  a  thousand 
pairs  of  pigeons.  I  have  been  in  the  business 
two  years  and  feel  confident  that  I  can  make  a 
success.  My  birds  have  been  greatly  admired 
and  praised  for  their  size  and  quality. 

I  beg  to  advise  you  that  the  shipment  of 
115  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  reached 
here  in  good  shape  Saturday  night  and  on 
Sunday  morning  I  liberated  them  in  their 
new  home.  I  wish  to  thank  you  for  your 
liberality  in  sending  me  the  two  extra  pairs, 
and  for  sending  me  such  a  fine,  healthy  lot 
of  birds,  not  one  of  them  being  in  any  but  the 
best  of  condition.  I  have  some  very  fine 
stock,  originally  bought  from  you,  and  this 
last  lot  of  birds,  taking  them  all  the  way 
through,  equals  the  balance  of  my  stock, 
which  has  been  bred  from  year  to  year  to  pro- 
duce only  stocky,  full  breasted  birds.  Your 
guarantee  accompanying  the  shipment  is 
very  broad  and  fair,  and  had  I  known  its 
terms,  my  letter  of  October  21,  1911,  to  you 
would  have  been  superfluous,  for  the  guarantee 
itself  covers  everything.  I  then  asked  of 
you  concerning  matings.  I  am  very  much 
pleased  with  all  of  the  birds,  and  especially 
with  the  pair  of  Carneaux,  which  are  un- 
doubtedly the  real  thing. — B.  N.  Spangenberg, 
New  Jersey. 


346 


APPENDIX  G 


HOW   I    DRESS   MY  SQUABS. 

"  The  method  here  described  applies  to  those  which  I  deliver  to 
families.  I  draw  them  and  cut  off  the  head  and  feet.  I  do  not 
believe  in  selling  squabs  alive  to  a  retail  trade."—  R.  C.  Boyd. 

WHY  SQUABS  SHOULD  NOT  BE  SOLD 
ALIVE,  by  R.  C.  Boyd.  The  squab  from 
which  the  above  picture  was  made  weighed 
seven-eighths  of  a  pound:  a  white-skinned 
Homer.  The  picture  shows  the  way  I  dress 
my  squabs  for  my  private  customers,  with 
one  exception:  I  draw  them  and  take  crop 
out  perfectly  clean.  I  also  give  with  each 
order  a  couple  of  printed  recipes.  I  do  not  sell 
live  squabs  to  customers  except  on  special 
request.  I  give  them  no  reduction.  I  charge 
the  same  for  a  live  squab  as  I  do  for  a  dressed 
one.  Consequently  my  customers  do  not 
order  live  ones.  One  should  not  sell  live 
squabs  to  private  trade  because  (1)  some  will 
order  to  get  them  a  little  cheaper  than  dressed 
ones.  (2)  It  is  a  knock  against  the  squab 
business.  (3)  No  cook  or  other  servant 


$30  FOR  GRAIN,  $100  TO 
$120  FOR  SQUABS,  by  J.  B. 

Beckman.     I   must  say   I   am 
doing  fine  with  my  Extra  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Homers  and  they 
are  doing  fine  with  me,  so  we 
get  along  very  well.     I  do  for 
them  and  they  do  for  me.     You 
ought  to  see  the  swell  addition 
I  am  putting  on  my  plant  for 
three   hundred   pairs  more.     I 
have   not   shipped   very  many 
squabs  for  I  have  been  saving 
them    for    breeding    birds.     I 
have  now  seven  hundred  pairs 
not  counting  squabs.     I  never 
lost  a  breeding  bird  in  the  last" 
moult,  and  the  house  is  just  a 
mass  of  squabs,  nests  and  eggs. 
I  was  the   first   one  in   this 
Missouri  town  to  start  a  squab 
plant  and  they  all  laughed  at 
me  and  assured  me  I  must  have 
money  to  burn,  and  went  so  far 
as  to  tell  me  I  had  no  sense  to 
put  up  such  a  fine  building  for 
the  old  pigeons.     If  I  had  listened  to  them  I 
would  not  have  a  fine  plant  worth  about  $2200, 
with  birds,  and  just  as  it  stands  I  would  not 
take  for  my  place  now  $6000.    But  I  have  them 
all  thinking  when  they  come  out  and  see  for 
themselves   what   is   going   on    at   my   house. 
Last  Sunday  there  were_fifty-one  persons  out 


to  see  the  fine  birds  and  I  feel  very  proud  of  it, 
too. 

There  is  a  man  close  to  me  who  is  running 
a  dairy  farm.  He  has  ten  milk  cows  and  he 
said  when  I  showed  him  my  account  in  the 
German-American  Bank,  just  on  my  squab 
plant  from  last  March  to  first  of  September, 
1909,  that  I  had  his  father  beat  on  his  dairy 
business.  He  didn't  say  how  much. 

From  March  18,  1909,  to  September  11, 
1909,  I  sold  $392.63 -worth  of  squabs  from  229 

private    families    likes    to    dress    poultry.     If        pairs  of  breeders,   expenses  $150.35,   total  of 

they  have  to  do  it,  you  bet  they  could  burn        $242.28   net    profit.     If    I    had    1000   pairs   I 

them  a  little  or  have  them  cooked  in  some        would  have  made  a  nice  piece  of_money  and 

way  that  would  make  the  mistress  not  want 

any  more  squabs  in  her  house.     When  I  solicit 

customers,    the    first   thing    they    ask    me   is: 

"  You  dress  them,  do  you?     How  much  are 

they  in  the  rough?  "     Answer:  Seventy  cents 

small,   eighty-five   cents  large.     "  How   much 

dressed?  "     Answer:  Seventy  cents  small,  and 


eighty- 
squab 


ty 

-five  cents  large.  I  hope  all  other 
squab  men  who  are  catering  to  private  trade 
will  not  sell  any  squabs  in  the  rough. 

The  seventy-five  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers  which  I  purchased  of  you  are  doing 
good  work.  They  are  the  most  carefully 
selected  birds  as  to  size  and  color  that  I  ever 
purchased.  The  Carneaux  are  large  birds, 
and  breeding  rapidly.  —  D.  D.  Powell,  Cali- 
fornia. 

It  pays  to  be  a  live  squab  breeder.  Remem- 
ber that  the  inscriptions  on  the  tombstones  of 
the  dead  ones  do  not  tell  what  their  faults  were. 


you  see  I  will  make  more  when  I  get  better 
posted  on  these  lines,  raising  my  squabs  and 
marketing  also.  There  is  always  something 
to  learn  about  this. 

I  am  shipping  seven  dozen  fine  squabs  per 
week,  which  bring  me  from  $25  to  $30  a  week, 
and  it  costs  me  $1  a  day  for  feeding,  or  $30  a 
month.  I  tell  you  it's  fine  doings. 

I  have  been  in  this  business  now  almost  two 
years,  have  made  quite  a  success,  and  I  am 
well  pleased  when  one  comes  to  see  my  plant, 
for  it  is  a  dandy. 

My  Plymouth  Rock  Homer  squabs  are 
dandies.  Weighed  several  pairs  of  squabs 
already,  and  one  pair  twenty-six  days  old 
weighed  two  pounds  four  ounces.  None  less 
than  three  quarters  of  a  pound  each  have  I 
found  yet.  My  birds  are  all  working  now 
and  I  expect  great  doings  from  them ,  for  they 
are  certainly  hustlers. — Norman  E.  Crozier. 
New  York. 


SEE   THE    BIG    SIZE    OF   THESE    EXTRA    PLYMOUTH    ROCK   HOMERS   IN    TEXAS. 


TEXAS  JUDGE  ON  SQUABS  vs. 
CHICKENS,  by  Ocie  Speer.  I  am  one  of  the 
justices  of  the  Court  of  Civil  Appeals  for  this 
State  (Texas)  and  my  interest  in  pigeons  and 
poultry  is  purely  for  diversion,  and  I  must  say 
I  have  found  it  most  interesting.  As  between 
pigeons  and  chickens,  I  am  decidedly  for  the 
former.  This  conclusion  has  been  reached 
after  a  very  thorough  comparative  test,  for 
one  season,  at  least.  During  the  past  spring 
I  have  expended  nearly  two  hundred  dollars 
in  incubators,  coops,  chickens,  eggs,  oil,  and 
feed.  Have  set  nearly  two  thousand  eggs, 
hatched  nearly  one  thousand  chicks,  eaten 
only  about  twenty,  and  now  have,  of  all  ages, 
only  about  one  hundred.  They  began  dying 
immediately  after  they  were  hatched  —  indeed, 
hundreds  of  them  made  greater  haste,  and 
died  in  the  shell — and  those  that  didn't  die 
of  bowel  trouble  waited  to  die  of  sore  head 
and  roup.  I  have  fertilized  my  kitchen 
garden  with  their  decaying  carcasses.  I  have 
tried  all  the  remedies,  from  copperas  to  car- 
bolic acid,  and  fed  everything  from  bran  to 
alfalfa.  I  have  all  the  chickens  I  want  — 
in  a  Pickwickian  sense.  I  have  eaten  more 
broilers  and  had  more  pies  from  my  few  pigeons 
than  from  all  my  chickens.  I  have  never  lost 
a  pigeon,  but  a  few  squabs  have  died  of  canker. 
I  fed  many  bushels  of  grain  and  chops  in  an 
automatic  feeder  and  finally  canker  appeared 
in  my  loft.  I  immediately  ceased  using  the 
box  and  threw  the  grain  on  the  gravel  bed  of 
the  flyer,  and  the  trouble  disappeared  entirely. 
If  I  use  the  feeder  again  I  shall  remove  the 
board  bottom  and  replace  it  with  screen  wire, 
which  will  act  as  a  sieve  for  the  dust  to  which 
I  attribute  the  canker. 

The  plain  way  to  get  good  prices  for  squabs 
is  to  refuse  to  f^ll  at  poor  prices. 


ONE  YEAR'S  GROWTH.  I  would  like  to 
write  to  let  you  know  how  I  have  succeeded 
with  my  Carneaux  and  Homers  which  I  pur- 
chased from  Mr.  Rice  of  the  Plymouth  Rock 
Squab  Company  about  one  year  ago  last 
March.  Starting  with  twenty-six  pairs  of 
Carneaux,  nine  pairs  of  colored  Extra  Homers 
and  four  pairs  of  Whites,  I  now  have  over 
three  hundred  Carneaux,  one  hundred  Extras 
and  fifty  Whites.  In  fact,  so  many  that 
I  have  no  more  room,  and  will  have  to  sell 
some. — William  McK.  Ewart,  Pennsylvania. 

I  have  been  very  successful  in  the  squab 
business.  Have  one  hundred  pairs  of  the 
finest  Homers  that  you  ever  saw,  all  raised 
fron  thirteen  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Extras. 
All  my  squabs  are  sold  to  private  trade  for 
five  cents  an  ounce.  My  lowest  weight  has 
been  ten  and  one-half  ounces,  highest  seventeen 
and  one-quarter  ounces  each;  average  weight 
thirteen  and  three-quarter  ounces  each.  Have 
sold  several  pairs  of  breeders  for  four  dollars 
a  pair.  Trusting  that  you  are  doing  a  success- 
ful business,  I  still  remain  a  friend  of  the 
Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co.— J.  E.  Ross,  New 
York. 

Replying  to  your  favor  of  recent  date,  as 
to  how  my  ten  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Car- 
neaux were  doing,  I  beg  to  advise  that  I  now 
have  about  three  hundred  very  fine  birds, 
sixty  working  pairs,  and  all  in  the  very  best 
of  health,  never  yet  had  a  sick  bird.  I  expect 
to  be  in  the  market  again  soon ,  either  for  more 
Carneaux,  or  some  of  your  famous  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers,  as  I  like  your  way  of  doing 
business  very  much.  I  thank  you  for  your 
kindly  inquiry,  and  wish  you  continued 
prosperity.— W.  A.  Sharp,  Minnesota. 


348 


APPENDIX  G 


I  FEED  ONLYONCEDAILY 
FROM  THIS  BOX,  by  Fred 
Ambrose.  I  consider  the  feed 
question  of  the  most  importance 
in  raising  squabs.  I  lost  more 
birds  my  first  summer  through 
canker  by  feeding  too  much 
cracked  corn  than  I  would  lose 
in  ten  years  from  other  ail- 
ments. Last  summer  I  used 
Venetian  red  in  the  drinking 
water  as  a  preventive,  and  had 
only  two  cases  of  it.  I  cured 
both  of  these  with  two  doses 
each  of  Venetian  red  put  in  their 
mouths  dry.  For  going  light  I 
use  the  red  and  pull  out  all  the 
tail  feathers,  and  very  seldom  I 

This  illustrates  the  idea.     The  board  on  the  sides  should  be  about    lose  a  bird. 

three  inches  wide  and  the  opening  above  it  two  and  one-half  inches  I  find  that  the  birds  must 
wide.  The  box  may  be  any  length  to  suit  any  size  flock.  The  top  have  grit  before  them  all  the 
board  is  removable.  It  prevents  soiling.  I  feed  grit  and  shells  also  time.  I  once  neglected  this  for 
from  this  type  of  box.  The  birds  cannot  squeeze  into  this  box.—  one  week,  and  got  a  large  num- 


MY  FEEDBOX  IS  SIMPLE  BUT  GOOD. 


Fred  Ambrose. 


ONE  WOMAN'S  SUCCESS,  by  Mrs.  Ida 
Knosman,  Indiana.  My  success  is  due  to  the 
Extra  Homers  and  service  given  by  the  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Squab  Company.  In  July,  1910, 
I  bought  twenty-four  pah's  of  Plymouth  Rock 
Extras.  Now  (October,  1911)  I  have  sixty 
mated  pairs  and  150  youngsters.  I  intend 
to  start  buying  adult  birds  January  1  and 
increase  my  flock  to  six  hundred.  I  will  buy 
of  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company,  so  I'll 
get  Al  birds.  My  experience  has  taught  me 
that  it  is  cheaper  to  buy  adult  pigeons  than 
to  wait  and  raise  the  young  and  feed  six  months. 

In  June,  1910,  I  purchased  thirteen  pairs 
of  your  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  and 
now  (November  2,  1911)  have  about  eighty 
pairs  of  breeders  and  140  youngsters.  Have 
just  started  to  sell  my  squabs  and  find  a  ready 
market.  Can  get  $4.25  per  dozen  for  eight 
to  nine-pound  squabs.  I  am  on  a  rented 
place,  but  expect  to  move  in  the  spring  and 
build  more  lofts  and  increase  my  breeders. 
If  you  know  of  any  one  in  this  locality  who 
has  Plymouth  Rock  breeders  and  cannot  dis- 
pose of  their  squabs  at  a  fair  price,  would  be 
pleased  to  have  then"  address,  as  at  present 
I  can  dispose  of  ten  to  fifteen  dozen  more 
squabs  a  week  than  I  can  supply.  There  are 
a  great  many  breeders  here  who  have  what 
are  called  American  Homers  which  breed  a 
squab  a  little  larger  than  the  common  pigeon. 
Enclosed  find  ten  cents  to  join  the  National 
Squab  Breeders  Association.— H.  W.  Moore, 
Ohio. 

I  received  some  of  your  goods  last  spring 
and  I  am  very  glad  to  say  that  they  have 
given  me  very  much  satisfaction,  especially 
the  birds,  which  have  raised  squabs  weighing 
over  a  pound  apiece. — J.  W.  Bolgiano,  Mary- 


ber  of  undersized  squabs.  I 
opened  some  of  them  and  found 
that  their  gizzards  were  about 
half  of  their  normal  size,  consequently  they 
could  not  digest  enough  food  to  fatten  up  on. 

It  costs  me  about  ten  cents  a  month  per  pair 
to  feed  the  birds,  and  I  receive  fifty  cents  for  a 
pair  of  squabs,  twelve  ounces  or  over,  each. 
They  invariably  weigh  that  at  three  weeks, 
some  of  them  weighing  a  pound  at  that  age. 
I  have  raised  my  stock  from  the  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers  that  I  got  from  Mr.  Rice.  All  my 
squabs  are  sold  alive  to  marketmen  in  this 
vicinity.  I  haven't  tried  to  work  up  a  retail 
trade,  not  having  time  to  attend  to  it. 

I  have  read  a  great  deal  about  mice  scaring 
pigeons  so  that  they  don't  breed,  but  from  my 
experience  I  must  say  that  I  can't  see  it.  I 
had  lots  of  them  in  my  loft  and  got  just  as 
many  squabs  as  I  ever  got.  I  caught  five  in 
one  trap  one  night  so  you  can  see  they  were 
pretty  plentiful.  One  built  a  nest  in  a  nest- 
box,  right  alongside  of  a  pigeon  nest  with  eggs 
in  it,  but  the  pigeons  sat  on  their  eggs  just  the 
same.  Of  course  rats  are  another  thing. 

I  send  a  sketch  of  the  box  I  use  for  feeding 
grain,  grit  and  shells.  It  can  be  made  any 
length  to  suit  the  number  of  birds  and  will 
keep  the  grain  clean.  It  has  an  advantage  over 
some  feeders  because  a  larger  number  of  pigeons 
can  get  around  it  at  once.  This  enables  the 
parents  to  feed  their  young  at  daylight  instead 
of  squealing  for  a  couple  of  hours  while  the  old 
birds  are  scrapping  around  a  self-feeder  to  get 
a  chance  to  fill  up. 

I  received  the  birds  and  Manual,  and  cer- 
tainly cannot  recommend  either  too  highly. 
I  am  an  old  breeder  of  pigeons  and  thought  I 
knew  about  all  that  was  to  be  known,  but 
on  perusing  the  Manual,  I  found  out  I  could 
still  be  taught.  It  is  the  best  book  of  its 
kind  that  I  ever  read,  and  would  not  part  with 
it  at  any  price  if  I  could  not  get  another. — 
Charles  Jansen,  Illinois. 


APPENDIX  G 


349 


FLORIDA'S  BIG  DEMAND, 
by  W.  M.  Brown.  We  wish  to 
get  every  person  in  Florida  in- 
terested in  squabs.  We  could 
at  the  present  time  sign  one 
contract  with  one  concern  for 
four  hundred  dozen  squabs  at 
$1800  for  a  four  months'  sup- 
ply at  one  hundred  dozen  a 
month  ($4.50  a  dozen)  and 
could  more  than  double  it. 
We  did  not  desire  to  cater  so 
much  to  the  tourist  season,  but 
went  after  the  leading  restau- 
rants in  our  nearest  city  and 
got  them,  for  the  year.  In  one 
afternoon  we  had  contracts  to 
take  every  squab  that  the 
squabhouse  we  had  built  could 
supply, and  at  top-notch  prices 
Not  only  these,  but  one  hotel 
made  a  request  that  we  submit 
to  them  a  proposition  so  that 
they  could  be  guaranteed  fifty- 
five  dozen  squabs  a  week. 
These  are  not  half  the  demands 
that  have  already  been  made 
upon  us  to  supply  squabs. 

There  is  only  one  thing  in 
this  matter  which  is  lacking, 
and  that  is  competition.  We 
want  it  and  we  would  like  it 
from  the  North.  There  is  now 
the  best  opportunity  for  squab 
raisers  to  come  here  and  do 
well. 

The  bugbear  which  has  held 
back  so  many  squab  raisers  as 
well  as  poultrymen  from  com- 
ing to  Florida  is  mites  and 
lice.  This  fear  is  shown  by 
people  who  are  prone  to  lazi- 
ness for  there  are  no  more  mites 
and  lice  here  than  in  the  North. 

Another  condition  which  is  becoming  more 
and  more  dominant  every  year  in  this  State, 
which  any  squab  raiser  by  a.  little  push  can  use 
to  his  advantage,  is  this:  The  people  of  inland 
Florida  are  making  the  coast  towns  their  sum- 
mer resorts.  The  influx  of  Northern  tourists 
during  the  winter  compels  a  great  majority  of 
the  Floridans  to  stay  home  and  attend  to 
business  and  their  recreation  must  wait  over 
until  summer,  and  as  it  is  much  cooler  here 
than  in  the  North,  naturally  they  come  to  the 
coast.  They  are  epicures  to  a  large  degree, 
and  you  will  notice  that  they  are  always  after 
a  nice  fish  or  an  excellent  turned  chicken,  but 
this  summer  they  are  to  a  good  extent  to  be 
treated  on  this  section  of  the  coast  to  the 
luscious  squab. 

I  am  a  subscriber  of  the  Squab  Magazine  and 
think  it  a  very  up-to-date  squab  periodical. 
I  have  one  thousand  birds  and  anything  new 
I  like  to  try  in  the  line  of  good  cheap  feed.  I 
have  been  very  successful  in  the  business  by 
following  your  Manual,  which  I  would  not  be 
without.— Walter  A.  Hagedorn,  Ohio. 


HOW  THEY  BUILD  SQUABHOUSES  IN  FLORIDA. 

Only  one  thickness  of  boarding.     (Mr.  Brown  is  seen  standing  by 
fly-pen  in  lower  picture.) 

In  1909  I  sent  to  Boston  for  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers  from  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co. 
I  have  sold  squabs  for  breeders  when  about 
three  months  old  for  $1.00  per  pair.  I  have 
always  fed  the  best  grain  and  given  them  plenty 
of  fresh  water  and  have  had  but  one  or  two 
sick  ones.  The  hotels  will  take  all  that  I 
can  raise  at  from  $2.75  to  $3.00  per  dozen. 
In  the  fall  I  am  going  to  build  for  one  hundred 
and  fifty  pairs.  I  have  raised  my  flock  of 
sixteen  birds  in  less  than  two  years  to  over 
one  hundred  and  fifty. — F.  S.  Sadler,  Okla- 
homa. 

I  have  about  three  hundred  Extra  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers,  and  they  are  fine  ones.  The 
weight  of  a  fifteen-day  squab  which  I  examined 
yesterday  was  three-quarters  of  a  pound. — 
L  O.  George,  Maryland. 

I  purchased  six  pairs  of  Homers  from  you 
in  1903  and  was  pleased  with  them.  I  want 
some  good  Carneaux  for  foundation  stock, 
good  heavy  birds  for  squabs.  Am  not  par- 
ticular as  to  feathers. — E.  W.  Lewis,  Colorado. 


350 


APPENDIX  G 


MR.  HOWE'S  BQUABHOU8E  AM)  Hl£  PARXKAKX. 


I  am  writing  to  ask  you  about  picking  and 
dressing  squabs  for  market.  I  just  picked 
and  shipped  six  dozen  to  Heineman  Brothers, 
New  York,  and  I  find  it  simply  impossible 
to  get  the  feathers  off  the  head  and.  upper 
part  of  the  neck  without  tearing  them.  Does 
the  market  object  to  the  feathers  being  left 
on  the  head  and  upper  part  of  the  neck?  Any 
information  you  can  give  me  along  the  killing 
and  picking  line  will  be  highly  appreciated. 
The  Select  Homers  I  purchased  from  you 
about  twelve  months  ago  are  doing  splendid 
work.  Out  of  the  twenty-five  pairs  two  pairs 
lost  their  mates,  which  left  me  twenty-three 
working  pairs.  From  them  I  have  sold  a  good 
many  squabs,  and  some  mated  pairs  that  I 
mated  from  them,  and  have  mated  up  alto- 
gether about  one  hundred  and  fifty  pairs  of 
fine  Homers.  Answer.  You  do  not  pick  the 
feathers  off  the  head  and  upper  part  of  the 
neck.  Leave  them  on.  Do  not  cut  off  the 
head.  Clean  pick  the  body  and  wings.  Be 
sure  you  ship  the  killed  squabs  as  a  "  gen- 
eral special "  with  twenty-five  per  cent  off  for 
ice. 


FAT  SQUABS  FOR  ME  ON 
THREE  GRAINS,  by  H.  A. 
Howe.  Starting  a  year  ago  I 
stopped  using  hemp  entirely, 
substituting  a  mixture  of  one 
part  oil  meal,  one  part  table 
salt  and  three  parts  sharp 
sand.  This  I  keep  before  them 
in  hoppers  all  the  time,  and  be- 
coming accustomed  to  it  they 
eat  it  freely.  The  only  grains 
I  feed  are  peas,  coarse  cracked 
corn  and  red  wheat.  I  give  a 
mixture  of  these  grains  twice 
daily,  at  7  a.m.  and  4  p.m.,  in 
an  open  feed  trough  with  a  re- 
volving stick  running  along  the 
top  (see  page  108  of  this  book). 

I  give  them  just  what  they 
will  eat  up  clean  between  feed- 
ing times,  feeding  more  corn  in 
winter  than  in  summer,  increas- 
ing the  amount  of  wheat  in 
summer.  This  method  may  be 
in  defiance  of  many  of  your 
feeding  schedules,  but  I  am 
turning  out  Plymouth  Rock 
Carneaux  squabs  that  average 
a  pound  apiece,  and  Plymouth 
Rock  Homer  squabs  that  go 
better  than  ten  pounds  to  the 

The  markets  here  (Massa- 
chusetts) from  October  1  until 
July  1  are  very  good,  the  prices 
running  from  $3.50  up  to  $5.50 
a  dozen  for  good  squabs. 

The  squab  plant  is  located  on 
a  side  hill  that  slopes  to  the 
south  and  consists  of  a  build- 
ing of  the  shed-roof  type  that 
houses  five  hundred  breeders, 
both  Homers  and  Carneaux. 
During  the  past  winter  I  re- 
moved the  top  sashes  from  the  windows  in 
the  pens,  substituting  cotton  cloth,  which  has 
been  very  satisfactory,  giving  a  drier  house 
and  healthier  stock. 

I  have  for  the  past  two  years  given  all  young 
stock  raised  for  breeders  their  'iberty  during 
the  entire  summer,  thereby  reducing  my  feed 
bill  and  developing  hardier  breeders. 

A  few  more  words  and  I  shall  make  these  in 
the  form  of  good  advice:  Start  with  good  stock, 
enlarge  slowly,  give  the  business  a  chance 
under  sound  business  principles  and  failure 
will  be  an  unknown  quantity. 


If  nothing  happens  I  am  going  to  put  up  two 
extra  buildings  this  fall  and  winter,  and  next 
spring  I  will  want  from  you  at  least  five  hundred 
pairs  of  selected  Homers.  I  am  planning  to 
come  up  that  way  about  that  time,  and  will 
call  on  you  and  make  arrangements  for  them. 

Hoping  to  be  able  to  do  much  business  with 
you  in  the  near  future,  and  thanking  you  in 
advance  for  your  information,  I  remain, 
H.  A.  Henkel,  Virginia. 


APPENDIX  G 


SQUABS,  FRUIT,  POULTRY,  VEGETABLES  RAISED  HERE    BY  MR.  VAIL. 


I  SELL  MY  SQUABS  BY  TELEPHONE 
FOR  $6.60,  by  Harry  M.  Vail.  My  wife  and 
I  came  to  New  Jersey  last  May  from  New  York 
City  with  the  intention  of  starting  in  the  poultry 
business.  While  we  were  waiting  for  our 
incubators  to  hatch  our  first  chicks,  we  became 
interested  in  the  pigeons  that  were  already  on 
the  place.  Our  admiration  for  them  later 
changed  to  genuine  love.  There  were  nearly 
seven  hundred  pigeons  in  the  lot.  Since  the 
accompanying  photograph  was  taken  we  have 
increased  them  to  1280.  The  breeding  house 
is  172  feet  long,  divided  into  fourteen  pens 
with  movable  double  nestboxes.  The  floor 
is  of  concrete  and  the  inside  walls  are  of 
asbestos  plaster.  The  house  throughout  is 
equipped  with  a  self-regulating  hot-water  sys- 
tem, the  same  as  are  my  brooder  houses. 

I  am  running  a  combination  poultry,  squab, 
fruit  and  vegetable  farm.  We  do  no  advertis- 
ing, as  our  squabs  and  other  products  do  it 
for  us.  Squabs  at  this  writing  (February  13) 
are  bringing  $6.60  a  dozen  retail  and  $5  whole- 
sale. Naturally  I  do  no  shipping. 

One  of  my  hotel  customers  supplies  me  with 
two  barrels  of  bread  a  week.  It  costs  us  noth- 
ing and  as  I  serve  him  anyway  it  costs  nothing 
for  hauling.  I  feed  the  bread  slightly  mois- 
tened, with  a  small  quantity  of  commercial 
beef  scraps  added.  It  makes  a  splendid  filler 
for  squabs. 

I  never  try  at  first  to  see  a  prospective  cus- 
tomer personally,  as  you  might  as  well  try 
to  see  the  King  of  England  as  the  people  of 
Montclair.  I  secure  their  telephone  numbers 


and  call  them  up.  I  invariably  secure  my  first 
introduction  that  way,  state  who  I  am,  and 
what  I  have  to  sell.  I  mention  several  cus- 
tomers that  I  am  already  serving,  and  in  a 
town  like  Montclair  they  all  know  of  one 
another.  I  make  an  appointment  and  am 
seldom  disappointed  by  the  customer.  If  you 
are  fortunate  enough  to  secure  them  as  cus- 
tomers and  if  you  have  the  goods,  you  seldom 
have  trouble  holding  them. 

I  guess  I  owe  you  a  report  about  the  Extra 
Homers  that  you  sent  me  in  July  of  last  year. 
They  have  excelled  my  expectations.  I  have 
more  than  one  thousand  birds  at  present  in 
spite  of  having  sold  some  squabs  since  and 
having  lost  a  good  many  during  last  winter 
while  I  was  in  the  East,  in  consequence  of 
carelessness  by  my  former  partner,  and  in 
spite  of  having  moved  them  twice.  They  are 
admired  much,  especially  my  "  old  Guard," 
as  I  call  my  original  stock  bought  of  you. — 
Stefan  Schwarz,  California. 

A  little  over  a  year  ago  we  purchased  some 
Homers  from  you  and  for  breeding  they  beat" 
any  that  I  ever  saw.  I  do  not  think  there  are 
any  that  can  beat  your  birds  for  breeding 
qualities.— William  E.  Merritt,  New  York. 

There  are  very  few  of  my  squabs  that  come 
less  than  ten  pounds  to  the  dozen.  I  have  a 
good  Plymouth  Rock  stock  of  Homers  to  breed 
from  bought  from  Mr.  Rice. — F.  G.  Fillmore, 
Missouri. 


APPENDIX  G 


PLYMOUTH  ROCK  EXTRA  HOMER  OF  BELGIAN  ORIGIN. 

Other  breeds  come  and  go,  but  our  large,  first-class  Homers  have 
no  equal  as  money-makers  in  the  squab  business.  The  original  photo- 
graph from  which  the  enlargement  was  made  is  seen  in  the  lower 
left-hand  corner. 


INDIANA  WOMAN  GETS 
$3.65-54.60  A  DOZEN,  by  Mrs. 
M.  Bunyard.  My  Extra  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Homers  are  doing 
splendidly.  I  do  not  see  how 
they  could  do  much  better. 
They  are  fine  healthy  birds 
and  splendid  workers. 

I  have  sold  since  April  27, 
1910,  sixty-one  dozen  squabs, 
besides  giving  some  away.  I 
have  got  a  good  price  for  all  I 
have  sold  this  summer.  I  have 
been  getting  from  $3.65  to  $4.60 
a  dozen  for  the  last  month. 
Our  banker  says  there  must  be 
a  lot  of  money  in  pigeons  from 
the  amount  of  checks  we  bring 
in.  I  hardly  ever  lose  a  squab. 
I  haven't  given  a  dose  of  medi- 
cine this  winter.  I  kill,  pick 
and  pack  all  my  squabs  my- 
self. I  have  five  squabhouses, 
one  built  in  the  left  of  the  barn 
and  three  in  the  barn  with  the 
flying  pens  outside  built  up  to 
the  barn.  I  have  one  squab- 
house  in  the  coal  shed.  I 
find  my  birds  like  clover  hay 
(that  has  been  threshed  out  for 
the  seed)  to  build  nests.  They 
never  know  when  to  quit 
building  with  it. 

Some  time  ago  I  wrote  to  you 
in  regard  to  purchasing  twenty- 
five  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers.  I  was  finally  per- 
suaded by  the  proprietor  of  a 
local  plant  to  invest  the  money 
in  a  larger  breed.  Runt- Duchess- 
Homers.  He  represented  them 
to  be  faster  breeders  than  the 
Homer  and  said  that  they  bred 
larger  squabs.  The  former  is 
anything  but  true,  and  he  barely 
gets  by  on  the  latter  statement. 
I  am  sorry  that  I  did  not  then 
know  of  the  breeding  qualities 
of  the  straight  Carneaux.  I 
have  recently  taken  in  a  partner 
and  we  have  decided  to  rid  our- 
selves of  this  mixed  breed  if 
possible,  and  fill  this  unit  with 
straight  Carneaux  from  your 
company.— T.  R.  Frank,  Rhode 
Island. 


I  have  been  steadily  building  up  my  flock 
of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  selling  only  enough 
squabs  to  pay  for  their  feed,  and  have  found 
my  birds  all  you  represented,  often  having 
squabs  weighing  eighteen  ounces.  Both  of 
us  have  gotten  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  out  of 
handling  them.  We  sell  their  output  to  the 
steamers  sailing  from  Galveston,  having  felt 
out  the  market  and  knowing  it  to  be  good. — 
W.  S.  Faires,  Texas. 


Our  stock  was  originally  purchased  from 
the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co.,  both  Carneaux 
and  Homers  and  we  can  assure  you  our  stock 
is  good.  We  have  several  letters  from  Messrs. 
Silz  of  New  York,  to  whom  we  ship  most  of 
our  birds.  We  also  supply  the  Hotel  Royal 
Poinciana,  Palm  Beach,  Florida,  during  their 
season,  and  we  can  assure  you  that  nothing 
but  the  best  holds  their  trade. — Seminole 
Squab  Farm,  Florida. 


APPENDIX   G 


353 


HOMERS  MORE  PROFIT 
THAN  LARGER  BIRDS,  by 
Martin  L.  J.  Steele.  Two 

years  ago  I  became  interested 
in  squabs  but  as  I  knew  noth- 
ing of  the  care  of  pigeons  I 
began  raising  them  in  mind 
only.  I  spent  nearly  a  year 
studying  the  question  from  all 
sides,  and  last  February  put  in 
my  first  lot  of  breeders,  fifty 
pairs  straight  Homers.  March 
first  I  bought  fifty  pairs  more. 
This  lot  consists  of  Homers, 
Dragoons,  Mondaines  and  two 
pairs  Maltese. 

After  a  careful  comparison 
of  loft  No.  1,  Homers,  and 
loft  No.  2,  crosses,  I  find  the 
Homers  are  the  more  profit- 
able. 

One  item  in  favor  of  the 
Homers  is  feed.  For  example, 
my  fifty  pairs  Homers  are 
doing  well  on  five  quarts  of 
grain  daily,  while  the  fifty 
pairs  of  crosses  take  from 
eight  to  nine  quarts. 

The  price  of  squabs  in  the 
Washington,  D.  C.,  market  did 
not  appeal  to  me.  Three  dol- 
"  irs  a  dozen  for  nine  to  ten- 


PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  IN  MONTANA. 


My  pigeons  are  straight  Homers  raised  frcm  s;>me  I  bought  in  Bos- 
ton  in   1904.      I   have   a  pair  which  raise   squabs   from  eighteen  to 

pound  squabs  in  December  did     twenty-one  ounces  at  four  weeks.      They  are  both_  1909  birds.      I  have 
not    sound  right.     So  I  began     a  rooster  six  months  old  from  this  pair  that  weighs  24i  ounces,  crop 
advertising    by    using   a   card    empty. — James  T.  Fisher,  Montana. 
headed  with  a  picture  of  a  pair 
of     squabs    in    the    nest,    and 
reading  as  follows,  the  date  and  prices  being 
written  in  ink: 

We  are  pleased  to  quote  you  the  following 
prices  on  SQUABS  for  the  month  of  July,  1910: 

Fresh  dressed,  per  pair $0.75 

Feathers  on,  per  pair 65 

Live,  per  pair 60 

I  mail  these  cards  about  the  first  of    each 


month  to  a  regular  list,  and  to  all  who  have 
not  ordered  by  the  middle  of  the  month  I  send 
another  card.  I  find  it  much  better  to  vary 
the  cut  at  the  head  of  the  card. 


The  three  pairs  which  I  bought  of  you  in 


March,  1909,  have  done  splendidly.  I  now 
have  forty-five  pairs  working  and  a  few  young- 
sters. Have  sold  a  good  many,  and  we  have 
eaten  a  great  many.  I  have  worked  up  a 
fine  trade  and  now  sell  to  the  swell  clubs  in 
Portland  at  thirty-five  cents  each.  They  will 
take  all  I  have.  Enclosed  find  an  order  for 
thirteen  pairs  more  of  your  Extra  Homers. 
If  these  only  do  as  well  as  the  ones  I  got 
before,  we  will  be  satisfied.  We  simply  can- 
not get  along  without  the  magazine.  It  is 
fine.  —  Mrs.  W.  R.  Lycan,  Oregon. 

If  grand  opera  were  fifty  cents  a  ticket 
the  400  would  not  attend.  The  higher  squabs 
are  priced,  the  more  the  rich  want  them, 
always  provided  the  quality  is  there. 


In  January,  1910,  I  bought  a  few  breeders 
of  you,  six  pairs  of  Carneaux.  I  have  a  nice 
flock  of  one  hundred  mated  pairs  now  (October, 
1911),  besides  having  sold  all  their  produce 
since  last  May.  I  have  been  getting  from 
$4.50  to  $6.00  per  dozen  for  them  during  the 
summer,  the  town  I  live  near  being  quite  a 
summer  resort,  and  I  had  not  breeding  stock 
enough  to  supply  the  demand.  Now  the 
market  is  over  for  this  season,  and  I  must 
look  further  afield  for  an  outlet.  I  notice  in 
one  of  your  books  that  you  have  requests 
from  commission  men  asking  you  to  send 
them  the  names  of  your  customers  so  they 
can  keep  them  posted  on  the  price  of  squabs. 
Would  esteem  it  a  favor  if  you  would  advise 
some  reliable  commission  houses  to  furnish 
me  with  quotations  for  the  different  grades 
of  squabs.  I  am  nearer  Rochester  and  Toronto 
than  other  large  cities,  but  I  suppose  distance 
is  not  much  of  an  obstacle  if  reach  the  best 
market.  My  squabs  will  average  about  nine 
pounds  to  the  dozen. — R.  L.  Rails,  Ontario. 

I  would  like  to  buy  ten  Carneaux  hens,  as 
I  have  a  surplus  of  cocks  on  hand  and  I  would 
like  to  mate  them  up  and  have  them  working. 
The  birds  I  have  came  from  your  place  and  I 
find  they  are  very  good.  I  do  not  want  to 
buy  the  hens  from  any  other,  for  I  do  not 
think  there  are  any  to  be  gotten  as  good  as 
yours. — H.  D.  Marsden,  Pennsylvania. 


354 


APPENDIX  G 


ALL  RAISED  FROM  ONE  PAIR, 

It  la  just  a  year  ago  since  I  purchased  six  pairs  of  the  Plymouth 
Rock  Extra  Homers  and  I  had  very  successful  results.  I  have  at 
present  (December  7)  fifty  mated  pairs  and  have  sold  just  387  squabs, 
which  brought  me  $218.50.  I  find  that  my  expenses  were  $74.50,  which 
leaves  a  profit  of  $144.  I  find  that  the  birds  like  the  wood-fibre 
nappies  better  than  any  other  sort  of  a  nest.  I  also  find  that  squabs 
are  reared  fifty  per  cent  easier  than  chickens.  Enclosed  you  will 
find  picture  of  birds,  seventeen  of  them,  all  reared  from  one  pair  of 
blue  checkers. — George  Briggs,  Jr.,  Connecticut. 


HOMERS  ARE  MOST  RE- 
LIABLE FOR  SQUABS,  by 
Fred  Fisher.  I  have  close  onto 
two  hundred  mated  pairs  of 
Homers.  I  am  selling  between 
$35  and  $40  worth  of  squabs 
to  San  Francisco  markets  per 
month.  Some  people  here  are 
in  favor  of  the  Maltese  and 
Runt  pigeons  crossed.  To  be 
sure  they  raise  a  large,  fine 
squab,  but  in  the  moulting  sea- 
son they  act  like  a  poor  chicken, 
taking  from  two  to  three  months 
to  moult,  and  at  the  same  time 
they  eat  their  heads  off.  This 
year  in  moulting  season  I  did 
not  notice  it  at  all  with  my 
Homers,  and  shipped  just  as 
many  squabs  then  each  week  as 
I  am  snipping  now.  The  Ho- 
mer is  the  squab  breeder. 

I  feed  in  open  troughs  twice 
daily,  about  9  a.m.  and  2  p.m.. 
giving  each  pen  enough  so  they 
will  have  feed  before  them  all 
the  time.  I  feed  my  birds  dry 
blood  once  a  week  with  good 
results.  I  give  each  pen  the 
top  of  a  fruit  jar  filled  with  the 
dried  blood,  and  the  birds  are 
very  fond  of  it.  It  keeps  them 
in  good  health  and  sharpens 
their  appetites.  I  feed  red 
wheat,  kaffir  corn,  red  oats, 
cracked  corn,  whole  barley  and 
cracked  horse  beans. 


Last  May  I  bought  one  hundred  pairs  of 
pigeons  crossed  between  a  Maltese  and  Runt, 
bought  them  at  first  sight  on  account  of  their 
size,  but  have  found  out  since  that  they  can- 
not deliver  the  goods  like  a  Homer,  and  am 
very  much  dissatisfied  with  them.  Thought 
you  might  be  in  a  position  to  let  me  know 
where  I  might  get  rid  of  them,  and  if  not, 
let  me  know  the  best  advertising  medium. 
They  cost  me  five  dollars  a  pair.  As  soon  as 
I  can  unload  them  I  will  be  in  the  market  for 
two  hundred  pairs  of  your  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers. — F.  J.  Baker,  Indiana. 

I  am  glad  to  say  that  the  twelve  pairs  of 
Homers  you  shipped  me  in  March  are  doing 
fine  and  have  increaseed  to  about  seventy-five 

ire  (August  20,  1911).— William  M.  Wilson, 


pairs  (August  A. 


Enclosed  find  fifty  dollars  for 
which  send  me  your  Special 
Offer  No.  5  at  the  earliest  pos- 
sible date,  as  I  have  a  good 
summer  trade  here  that  I  can- 
not supply.  I  want  to  get  the 
birds  started  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. You  will  no  doubt  par- 
don my  delay  in  acknowledging 
the  receipt  of  your  Manual.  I 
am  positive  that  any  one  follow- 
ing your  instructions  is  sure  of 
If  I  could  not  get  another  book  like 
it,  you  could  not  buy  it  for  twenty  times  what 
I  paid  for  it.  Every  one  I  have  talked  with 
has  praised  your  Homers.  The  marketman  told 
me  that  if  I  had  Homers  I  could  get  a  better 
price  for  my  squabs.  I  am  now  receiving  the 
highest  market  price  for  mine,  which  is  three 
dollars  a  dozen ,  alive. — F.  L.  Thomas,  California. 

We  would  like  to  exchange  some  Carneaux 
raised  from  the  two  pairs  gotten  from  you  last 
June,  with  a  friend  who  has  some  thorough- 
breds but  he  will  want  a  guarantee  that  ours 
are  the  same.  Will  you  send  us  proof  of  some 
kind  to  show  him?  From  the  four  birds 
gotten  just  one  year  ago,  we  now  have  thirty- 
four  in  all,  twenty-two  of  which  are  mated 
pairs.  Don't  you  think  that  is  doing  well? — 
Mrs.  J.  H.  Moynodier,  Maryland. 


APPENDIX  G 


I  SELL  SQUABS  AT  RE- 
TAIL IN  MY  TOWN,  by 
Charles  H.  Marston.  In  No- 
vember, 1907,  I  bought  twenty- 
five  pairs  of  Homer  pigeons 
and  like  many  others  I  thought 
that  I  had  a  bargain  because 
I  got  them  cheap,  but  there  is 
where  I  learned  something. 
They  had  not  been  well  kept 
and  did  not  do  a  thing  all  that 
winter  but  eat,  and  how  they 
did  that!  It  took  some  time 
to  get  them  filled  up,  but 
about  February  1,  1908,  they 
began  work  and  did  finely  all 
the  year,  so  that  at  the  end  of 
that  year  I  found  they  had  paid 
their  way  and  a  little  more. 

Having  weeded  out  some  of 
the  drones,  I  began  the  year 
1910  with  sixty  pairs  of  mated 
birds  and  at  the  present  time 
of  writing  (February  26)  I 
have  fifty-three  pairs  either 
with  young  or  setting  on  eggs, 
making  me  think  that  the  out- 
look for  1910  is  pretty  good. 

From  the  very  first  I  have 
been  a  believer  that  in  every 
community  there  are  some  that 
will  buy  dressed  squabs,  and 
I  have  built  up  quite  a  trade 
in  my  town  and  the  adjoining 
towns  in  this  part  of  Massa- 
chusetts. I  am  very  enthusi- 
astic on  squab  raising,  and  «m 
satisfied  that  there  is  money 
in  it. 

The  Homers  I  received  from 
you  are  doing  splendidly.  I 
have  no  trouble  in  getting 
squabs  a  month  old  to  weigh  a 
pound.  I  have  a  pair  sixteen 
days  old  weighing  fifteen 
ounces.  I  had  a  man  offer  me 
about  ninety  Homers  for  $25, 
but  I  would  hardly  take  them 
as  a  gift.  The  best  his  squabs 
weigh  when  four  weeks  old  is  between  nine 
and  ten  ounces.  Thank  you  for  the  good  birds 
you  sent  me. — H.  J.  Read,  Ontario. 

Thought  you  might  be  interested  to  know 
how  I  made  out  with  my  Carneaux  entries  at 
the  Suffolk  County  Fair  for  1911:  Solid  red, 
first  premium;  red  and  white,  first,  second  and 
third  premiums;  yellow  and  white,  first,  second 
and  third  premiums.  All  birds  raised  from 
Plymouth  Rock  stock.  I  won  as  many  prizes 
as  were  allowed  on  my  entries,  so  I  have  no 
kick  coming.— Cadet  H.  Hand,  New  York. 

The  eleven  pairs  of  Carneaux  I  received 
from  you  last  October  are  doing  well.  I  have 
one  hundred  and  eighty  or  more  birds  now 
(September  15,  1911).— Dr.  J.  W.  Cutler, 
California. 


MR.  MARSTON  AND  TRAINED  HOMER. 


We  stocked  up  with  twenty-five  pairs  of 
your  Extras  in  1909.  We  stocked  up  with 
Carneaux  in  1910.  In  Carneaux  and  Homers 
we  showed  thirteen  birds,  six  pairs  and  one 
odd  bird.  We  won  thirteen  ribbons,  $12.50  in 
cash  at  the  Virginia  State  Fair,  1910. — Frank 
W.  Banner,  Virginia. 

I  have  been  in  the  squab  business  raising 
your  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and 
Carneaux,  but  sold  out  and  now  I  want  to 
start  in  again.  I  have  handled  a  great  many  of 
your  birds  and  I  have  found  that  they  prove 
satisfactory  in  every  respect. — Arthur  New- 
comer, Pennsylvania. 

Single  men  who  do  not  make  squabs  pay 
should  get  married  and  let  their  wives  show 
them  how. 


356 


APPENDIX  G 


YOU  CAN  SEE  THE  WATER  IN  THIS  FOUNTAIN. 


KALE  FOR  MY  BIRDS;  FERN  BRAXE 
FOR  NESTS,  by  Mrs.  W.  R.  Lycan.  I  bought 
three  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Extra  Homers 
one  year  ago  and  have  raised  over  seventy, 
lost  very  few.  One  pair  has  raised  nine  pairs 
and  is  sitting  again.  This,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  we  have  moved  during  this  time 
and  had  them  in  a  coop  for  several  days  and 
have  never  had  a  flying  pen,  just  have  them 
in  an  open-front  chicken  house  about  ten  by 
fourteen  feet.  How's  that?  I  have  not 
arranged  my  plant  as  I  want  it  yet.  We 
bought  us  a  small  place  (in  Oregon)  entirely 
unimproved,  and  it  takes  time  and  money  to 
get  things  going  right. 

I  feed  kaffir  corn,  cracked  corn,  wheat,  peas, 
stale  bread  and  occasionally  sunflower  seed.  I 
also  find  they  are  very  fond  of  nice  tender  kale. 
Now  and  then  I  give  them  rice.  I  give  my 
birds  what  is  called  "  brake  "  out  here  (it  is 
a  kind  of  fern  and  very  soft)  for  nesting  material. 
They  seem  to  like  it  better  than  straw. 

I  have  just  finished  reading  your  $1.00 
Manual  and  find  it  absolutely  the  best  work 
on  the  care  and  rearing  of  squabs  that  was 
ever  written.  Mr.  Rice  deserves  much  credit 
for  the  writing  of  this  book.  I  have  a  few 
pairs  of  your  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 
and  find  them  far  superior  in  size,  weight  and 
vigor  to  any  Homers  I  have  ever  seen. — R.  L. 
Chipman,  Washington. 

A  good  man  has  good  pigeons,  and  con- 
versely, a  tumble-down  man  with  a  rickety 
borne  has  pigeons  to  match. 


HOME-MADE  FOUNTAIN, 
by  Heyward  R.  Barret.    I  am 

sending  you  a  drawing  and 
the  description  of  a  swinging 
drinking  fountain  for  pigeons 
which  I  have  found  to  be  very 
satisfactory.  It  can  be  made 
of  a  "  Buffalo "  lithia  water 
bottle  as  well  as  a  whiskey 
jug.  As  the  top  of  the  jug  is 
larger  than  the  pan  the  drop- 

Eings  can  not  fall  into  the  water 
•om  a  bird  perched  on  top. 
The  one  illustrated  is  made  of 
a  glass  whiskey  jug  which  can 
be  obtained  most  anywhere  and 
holds  from  a  gallon  up.  Cut 
two  pieces  of  wire  the  same 
length  and  twist  tightly  around 
the  jug,  leaving  the  ends  ex- 
actly opposite  one  another  for 
axles.  The  pan  should  be 
about  one  and  one-half  inches 
deep,  and  the  jug  should  be 
suspended  one  inch  above  the 
bottom  of  the  pan.  By  making 
it  out  of  a  glass  jug  you  can 
easily  see  when  it  is  empty. 
Simply  turn  the  jug  up  and 
fill  it  and  let  it  drop  in  position, 
and  it  will  supply  water  only  as 
it  is  diminished  from  the  drink- 
ing pan.  Cost  about  ten  cents. 


Three  friends  of  mine  visited  me  Sunday, 
especially  to  see  your  Plymouth  Rock  Homers, 
and  they  were  surprised  to  find  such  large, 
handsome  and  well  marked  Homers.  My 
Philadelphia  Homers  are  not  in  the  same  class 
with  yours  in  any  shape,  manner  or  form  and 
you  can  duplicate  my  order.  I  like  to  deal 
with  honest,  reliable  people  whom  I  am  con- 
fidently sure  are  treating  their  customers 
right.  I  am  going  to  build  another  unit  to 
my  plant  this  week  and  so  I  will  be  ready  to 
put  nothing  but  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  in 
same.  It  will  cost  me  $10  for  the  unit.  My 
Philadelphia  birds  are  certainly  picking  up 
after  feeding  and  watering  according  to  your 
Manual,  as  I  have  not  lost  another  squab  in 
the  shell.  One  pair  brought  out  three  squabs 
and  are  feeding  them  in  fine  shape.  This 
same  pair  of  birds  lost  five  pairs  of  squabs 
in  the  shell  until  after  I  had  worked  according 
to  your  Manual.  I  thank  you  kindly  for  the 
fine  birds  sent  me. — Frank  J.  Lyons,  Ohio. 

I  have  bought  health  grit  of  other  houses 
nearer  home  but  find  my  pigeons  do  not  take 
to  it  like  yours.  I  bought  from  you  twelve 
pairs  of  Homers  and  now  have  nearly  one 
hundred  and  fifty. — William  M.  Wilson, 
North  Carolina. 

I  have  some  of  your  Plymouth  Rock  Extra 
Homers,  and  will  say  that  there  is  no  other 
stock  known  to  me  that  can  even  compare 
with  them.— John  Overbrook,  Illinois. 


APPENDIX  G 


357 


SQUABS  FOR  ME  IN- 
STEAD OF  FANCY  POUL- 
TRY, by  W.  H.  Brown.  I  have 
had  a  stock  of  Extra  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers  since  January  1, 
and  have  been  saving  most  of 
my  squabsf  or  breeders.  I  have 
sold  some  squabs  and  received 
thirty-five  pents  each  for  them. 
People  say  my  squabs  are  the 
nicest  they  have  ever  seen.  I 
have  had  calls  for  ten  times  as 
many  squabs  as  I  have  raised; 
some  one  is  wanting  from  two 
to  a  dozen  every  day.  There 
are  squabs  to  be  had  here  (North 
Carolina),  but  none  like  mine. 
They  sell  for  twenty-five  cents 
each  and  weigh  about  six  to 
eight  ounces,  while  my  squabs 
weigh  twelve  to  sixteen  ounces, 
so  you  can  plainly  see  why  the 
people  are  after  mine.  I  have 
also  had  many  calls  for  breed- 
ers, and  hope  some  day  to  be 
able  to  fill  them. 

I  have    been  raising    fancy 

Cltry  for  five  years,  and  I  find  the  pigeons 
e  got  t'-ie  chickens  skinned  a  country  block. 
They  are  a  great  deal  less  care  and  more 
profit.  The  pigeons  for  me  every  time.  I 
have  plenty  of  room  and  can  raise  most  of  my 
feed,  and  intend  making  squabs  my  business. 

I  live  two  miles  out  of  the  city, and  have  been 
for  the  last  four  years  with  the  largest  retail 
grocery  firm  here,  and  in  this  way  have  learned 
all  the  best  people,  and  how  to  deal  with  them. 
I  am  going  to  build  a  new  squabhouse  soon.- 

WHY  I  PREFER  PINE  NEEDLES  FOR 
NESTS,  by  H.  A.  Rice.  Nest  material  is 
indispensable  to  the  squab  breeders  as  well  as 
to  the  chicken,  turkey,  duck  and  geese  men. 
This  we  learn  as  one  of  our  first  lessons  in  the 
handling  of  all  domestic  fowls.  When  it  has 
to  be  bought,  we  try  to  get  the  least  expensive 
material,  and  usually  that  is  the  last  real 
thought,  so  we  hike  after  a  bale  of  straw,  cut 
it  open  and  spread  it  out  on  the  floor  or  in 
crates  or  nests,  so  the  fowls  can  get  at  it.  Now, 
everything  goes  well  for  a  while,  but  by  and 
by  the  day  surely  comes  that  we  find  the 
chicken  and  squabhouse  is  alive,  yes,  just 
crawling  away,  and  so  we  have  a  job  on  hand. 
Here  is  the  job:  Take  a  pencil  and  paper  and 
count  the  number  of  straws  you  put  into  the 
house  for  your  birds  (sure  all  fowls  have  lice 
more  or  less),  count  the  number  of  lice  eggs  and 
lice  in  each  (incubator)  straw.  Do  not  use 
straw.  It  is  an  incubator,  and  your  birds  the 
brooders.  I  have  this  winter  experimented 
with  pine  needles,  the  foliage  from  pine  and 
fir  trees.  The  birds  like  it  equal  to  the  tobacco 
stems.  I  use  alfalfa.  The  chaff  or  foliage  is 
just  the  thing  for  your  hens  if  cleaned  and  mixed 
with  bran.  Your  pigeons  will  eat  it  if  mixed 
with  salt  after  it  cools.  (Do  not  give  the 
salted  to  the  hens,  as  it  is  sure  death.)  On 
page  349,  December  number  of  the  Squab 


CARNEAUX  SQUADS  SEVENTEEN  OUNCES  EACH. 


Magazine  Brother  Newcomer  says  he  feeds 
cabbage  and  lettuce  as  green  feed.  The 
lettuce  is  all  right,  but  no  cabbage  for  me.  I 
have  known  of  the  finest  fowls  and  birds  and 
canaries  to  be  killed  by  feeding  cabbage.  It 
bloats  them  just  as  it  does  cattle.  (I  once  lost 
in  that  way,  a  cow  for  which  I  had  paid  $60 
in  gold.)  Often  people  ask  me  about  feeding 
green  food,  and  I  always  advise  against  the 
practice.  If  your  birds  have  their  liberty, 
then  that  is  different. 


I  notice  that  oats  and  barley  are  not  recom- 
mended for  pigeons  with  squabs  because  the 
sharp  points  are  supposed  to  cut  the  thin 
crops  of  the  young.  Do  you  suppose  there 
would  be  any  harm  in  feeding  vetches  mixed 
with  oats?  The  farmers  around  here' raise 
vetches  and  oats  .together,  the  oats  to  hold 
the  vetches  up,  and  when  they  are  threshed 
together  the  two  grains  are  mixed.  I  can 
get  this  mixture  about  harvest  time  quite 
cheap,  about  $1  to  $1.25  a  hundred.  So  if 
I  could  feed  it,  I  should  like  to  do  it.  The 
mixture  is  about  two  or  three  times  vetches 
to  one  of  oats.  I  should  naturally  suppose 
that  if  I  gave  the  birds  plenty  of  wheat  and 
other  grain  they  would  have  sense  (or  instinct) 
enough  not  to  feed  their  squabs  anything  that 
would  hurt  them.  I  have  been  in  the  pigeon 
business  about  three  years.  Have  now  about 
140  pairs,  mostly  Homers,  with  a  sprinkling 
of  Runts  and  Carneaux,  all  doing  nicely.— 
H.  Denlinger,  Oregon.  Vetches  are  a  first- 
class  food  for  pigeons.  Feed  that  mixture  by 
all  means-,  if  you  can  get  it  at  that  price. 

The  breeder  who  is  selling  squabs  at  low 
prices  is  either  ignorant  or  is  himself  low- 
priced  and  can  be  bought  cheap  on  any  proposi- 
tion. 


358 


APPENDIX  G 


OSTRICHES  AND  WHITE  HOMERS. 


NO        ADVANTAGE       IN        BREEDING 
CROSSES,  by  J.  Wallace  Williams.     I  do  not 

raise  any  crosses.  I  believe  in  improving  the 
thoroughbred  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and 
Carneaux.  I've  never  seen  the  advantage  in 
crosses,  if  there's  any.  When  you  breed  a 
first-class  Carneau  to  a  first-class  Homer, 
where's  the  advantage?  You  get  a  freak 
pigeon.  Let  us  improve  the  thoroughbreds. 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  for  squab  breeders 
are  hard  to  beat.  I  put  thirty  pairs  in  each 
pen.  Every  month  in  the  year  you  will  find 
from  sixty  to  one  hundred  eggs  and  squabs 
in  each  pen.  Before  writing  this  article,  I 
counted  in  one  pen  of  thirty  pairs,  fifty-six 
squabs,  twenty-eight  eggs  and  six  new  nests. 
What's  the  name  of  the  freak  pigeon  that  will 
corr.e  up  to  that  record? 

Squabs  well  sold  are  easily  raised. 


ARIZONA    SQUABS    AND 
OSTRICHES,  by  Francis  Shaw. 

We  have  twelve  hundred  Ho- 
mer pigeons  here  in  Arizona. 
We  have  good  birds  in  Arizona 
and  plenty  of  good  fanciers,  but 
not  many  good  squab  breeders. 
The  Salt  River  Valley  can't  be 
beat  for  poultry  and  pigeon 
climate.  Squabs  are  a  side  line 
with  us  as  we  are  in  the  ostrich 
business,  and  have  over  four 
hundred  of  them  on  this  farm, 
and  are  now  hatching  more. 

HOMER  SQUABS  SELL 
WELL  IN  MONTANA,  by 
James  T.  Fisher.  I  have  been 
raising  pigeons  on  a  city  lot, 
and  can't  enlarge  very  much. 
I  have  a  good  market  here. 
(Montana.)  I  get  from  thirty- 
five  to  fifty  cents  each  for  all  I 
can  raise.  I  have  only  eighty- 
one  pairs  of  breeders,  from 
which  I  sold  thirty-nine  squabs 
in  December  and  forty-two  in 
January.  I  also  have  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  young,  which 
are  mating  up  now.  The 
smallest  squab  I  raised  in  the 
last  three  months  weighed 
eleven  ounces.  There  were 
only  two  under  twelve  ounces. 
They  will  average  thirteen  and 
fourteen  ounces  dressed.  I 
have  one  (a  Homer)  that 
weighed  twenty-two  ounces 
alive  at  four  weeks.  This  is 
the  largest  I  have  ever  raised. 
I  have  raised  several  that 
weighed  eighteen  and  nineteen 
ounces.  I  bought  my  stock  of 
Homers  in  1904  from  the 
Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Com- 
pany. I  feed  mostly  wheat, 
whole  corn,  millet  and  hemp- 
seed.  I  mix  salt,  grit,  charcoal 
and  a  little  alum  together  and 
keep  before  them  all  the  time.  I  burn  and 
grind  bones  for  them  in  place  of  oyster 
shell.  I  clean  my  houses  every  week  and 
spray  with  carbolic  every  other  week.  I  have 
lost  but  one  squab  in  three  months  with  canker. 

The  eight  pigeons  I  bought  of  you  nearly 
three  years  ago  have  increased  greatly.  I 
have  214  mated  pairs  and  I  am  making  a  nice 
profit  on  them. — Ward  Edwards,  Texas. 

Percy  Perkins  likes  to  write  letters  asking 
for  information  about  his  pigeons.  It  takes 
more  time  than  studying  the  birds,  but  he  gets 
a  splendid  collection  of  opinions. 

Pigeons  for  breeding  or  squabs  for  eating 
cannot  be  sold  by  advertising  where  nobody 
exists.  Get  into  the  marketplace,  not  the 
cemetery. 


APPENDIX  G 


359 


HOW  TO  BLEED  SQUABS 
NEATLY,  QUICKLY,  by  W.  E. 

Blakslee.  When  killing  squabs, 
this  device  will  be  found  useful. 
It  is  a  rack  of  funnels  made  of 
tin,  open  at  top  and  bottom. 
Hold  the  squab  in  the  .eft  hand, 
stick  it  with  the  killing  knife 
and  put  it  in  one  of  the  funnels, 
head  hanging  down  through  the 
lower  hole.  The  object  is  to 
drain  out  the  blood.  This  does 
away  with  the  necessity  of  hang- 
ing the  feet  from  a  string,  and 
prevents  spattering  of  blood. 
The  live  squab  may  be  put  in 
the  funnel  head  down  and  out 
and  then  stuck,  if  preferred. 
This  is  the  method  used  in 
Europe  by  the  quail  market- 
men.  These  quail  are  caught 
in  Egypt  in  nets  and  trans- 
ported alive  to  London,  where 
they  are  fattened  for  a  few  days 
and  then  killed.  All  of  the 
marketmen  have  the  same 
method  of  using  this  rack  of 
funnels,  their  racks  being  from 
eight  to  ten  feet  long.  London 
consumes  these  quail  by  the 
hundreds  of  thousands.  The 
traffic  is  an  old  one  and  this 
funnel  method  of  bleeding  is 
thoroughly  practical,  needed  by 
fast  workmen. 

HOW  CLEVELAND  SQUAB 
PRICES  WENT  UP,  by  Mrs. 
Carl  Moeller.     From  December 
31,  1909,  to  December  31,  1910, 
our  thirty  pairs  of  breeders  aver- 
aged eight  pairs  of  squabs.     No 
pair  went  below  fourteen  squabs 
and  one  or   two   pairs  had  the 
first  pair  of  eggs  December  31 , 
1909,  and  the  tenth  pair  of  eggs         How  to  cut  the  tin,  make  seam  and  bend.      One  wire  nail  fastens 
December  31,  1910.     As  these    each  funnel  to  board, 
were    Homers,    it    seems    very 
good  to  us.     This  average  is  of 
squabs  sold  or  raised  to  maturity.    Others  do 
not   count.     One  year    ago    this  month,  nine- 
pound    squabs,  alive   or  dressed,    were  bring- 
ing at  the  most  two  dollars  a  dozen.     Whole- 
salers in    Cleveland   were  actually   insulted    if 
you  asked  them  to  buy  by  weight.     They  sim- 
ply refused  to  talk   business  if  you  mentioned 
price  and  weight  together.     Five-and-six-pound- 
per-dozen  squabs  brought  just  as  good  a  price 
as  the  larger  ones.     In  March,  1910,  prices  be- 
gan to  go  up.      We  found  a  dealer  who  knew  a 
good    squab  from  a  cull    and  would  pay  by 
weight.     We  sell  all   our   squabs   to  this   one 
dealer   and    receive  a   steady    price   the   year 
around.     At    wholesale    nine    and    ten-pound 
squabs  are  now  bringing  $3.00  and    $3.50  a 
dozen  dressed.     They  may  go  to  $4.50.     Cleve- 
land is  fast  creating  an  appetite  for  squabs  and 
all  we  need  to  make  things  boom  is  a  union  of 
all  squab  breeders  in  and  around  Cleveland, 


FUNNELS  TO  BLEED  SQUABS. 


and  then  some  good  live  advertising  that 
greater  Cleveland  may  know  what  squabs 
are,  where  to  get  them  and  how  to  eat 
them. 

About  two  years  ago  I  purchased  three  pairs 
of  your  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and 
two  pairs  alone  have  increased  to  about  fifty- 
five  by  now  (the  other  pair  having  flown  away 
when  I  released  them  about  three  months  after 
I  received  them).  I  am  very  enthusiastic 
about  the  raising  of  squabs  and  in  order  to" 
have  even  pairs  and  also  to  introduce  new 
blood,  I  wish  to  purchase  about  ten  females. 
My  males  have  increased  more  than  the 
females  so  that  I  need  about  this  many  to  even 
up.  I  desire  the  Extras.  At  piesent  I  am 
enlarging  my  unit  house  and  in  the  near  future 
expect  to  increase  my  flock  to  at  least  five 
hundred  pairs. — W.  M.  James,  Ohio. 


360 


APPENDIX  G 


MALE  AND  FEMALE  PIGEON  BILLING,  OR  KISSING. 


HOW  I  LEARNED  TRUE  CALIFORNIA 
PRICES,  by  Stefan  Schwarz.  In  the  leading 
San  Francisco  daily  papers,  squabs  are  quoted 
at  $2  and  $3  a  dozen  at  present  (May  29, 
1911).  Everybody  knows  that  squabs  are 
numerous  at  this  time  of  year,  and  that  com- 
petition is  active.  Circumstances  did  not 
encourage  me.  Anyway  I  did  not  expect  a 
very  ready  demand,  or  good  prices  either. 
I  am  breeding  a  flock  of  several  hundred  pairs 
of  Plymouth  Rock  Extra  Homers. 

I  asked  my  grain  man  for  the  address  of  a 
commission  house,  and  he  sent  me  to  a  big 
one  of  first-class  reputation.  Who  can  describe 
my  great  surprise  as  one  of  the  members  of 
the  firm  told  me:  "I  will  take  all  the  squabs 
that  you  will  ship  to  me  and  I  am  ready  to  make 
a  contract  with  you  for  one  thousand  dozen 
squabs  a  year,  for  which  I  will  pay  you  $3.50 
for  Homer  squabs  weighing  ten  to  twelve 
pounds,  and  $4.50  for  Carneaux  squabs  weigh- 
ing fourteen  to  sixteen  pounds." 

It  is  a  puzzle  to  me  how  my  fellow  squab 
raisers  in  California  can  afford  to  go  so  much 
below  these  quotations  just  mentioned,  unless 
they  ship  squabs  which  weigh  considerably 
less,  or  are  fooled  by  the  newspaper  quotations, 
as  I  nearly  was. 

'"*  Squab  buyers  must  buy  squabs.  Squab 
breeders  alone  can  furnish  squabs.  It  is  the 
business  of  the  seller  and  not  the  buyer  to 
make  the  price. 


HOW  I  LEARNED  TO  GET 
GOOD  PRICES,  by  A.  J. 
McCauley.  I  sold  all  of  the 
Plymouth  Rock  Extra  Homer 
squabs  I  raised  in  eleven  months 
to  a  marketman  in  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  for  prices  ranging  from 
$3.25  to  $4.80  a  dozen.  I 
started  in  to  ship  to  the  market 
people  in  December,  1909,  and 
until  January  21 , 1910,  received 
$3.60  a  dozen;  from  then  until 
February  25  I  succeeded  in  get- 
ting $4.20  a  dozen.  I  again 
wrote  them  to  advance  the 
price  as  I  had  been  offered 
more  elsewhere.  The  price  was 
then  advanced  to  $4. 80  a  dozen. 
This  price  lasted  until  April  10, 
when  they  tumbled  to  $4.50  a 
dozen,  then  in  the  same  month 
they  cut  them  to  $4.  In  May 
they  cut  them  to  $3.60.  In 
June  they  cut  them  to  $3.50. 
From  July  until  November, 
when  I  quit  shipping  to  them, 
I  was  getting  only  $3.25.  At 
this  time  I  wrote  them  to  know 
if  it  wasn't  about  time  for 
squabs  to  start  to  advance  in 
price.  The  answer  I  got  was 
quite  an  eye  opener  for  me,  for 
they  said  that  they  had  been 
putting  squabs  in  cold  storage 
all  summer  and  that  they  had 
quite  a  lot  of  birds  on  hand  that 
they  had  bought  reasonable  and  consequently 
could  not  pay  any  more  for  them  just  at  that 
time.  I  at  once  got  busy  with  other  buyers 
in  Chicago  where  I  received  $4  for  eight-pound 
squabs  and  $4.25  for  nine-pound  birds.  At 
present  I  am  shipping  my  birds  alive  for  $4 
a  dozen  to  a  place  near  Chicago.  I  am  putting 
forth  every  effort  to  be  able  to  gather  a  lot  of 
squabs  through  the  months  of  February  and 
March,  when  I  hope  to  get  $4.80  or  $5  a  dozen; 
then  I  expect  to  be  able  to  ship  squabs  by  the 
barrel  next  summer  and  will  either  ship  East 
or  store  them  until  the  prices  advance. 

Some  people  are  dead  set  against  whole  corn 
because  it  is  so  big,  and  claim  it  chokes  the 
squabs,  but  I  notice  when  I  feed  cracked  corn 
and  whole  corn  together,  they  always  pick  out 
the  whole  corn.  The  females  seem  to  like  it 
when  they  are  on  eggs  especially.  One  reason 
I  feed  whole  corn  is  because  the  cracked  corn 
gets  sour  in  the  least  dampness,  and  soon  I  see 
sick  birds.  A  breeder  about  two  miles  from 
my  place  buys  squabs  and  he  told  me  the  other 
day  that  he  got  $4.50  per  dozen  himself.  I 
went  down  a  few  weeks  after  and  he  offered 
to  buy  fairly  good  squabs  at  thirty  cents  each, 
or  $3.60  per  dozen,  netting  him  a  profit  of 
ninety  cents  on  every  dozen.  I  take  the  maga- 
zine and  it  certainly  is  a  beauty.— P.  E.  Foster, 
Massachusetts. 

All  squabs  are  good,  but  some  are  better. 


APPENDIX  G 


361 


HUNGRY     CALL      FOR 

SQUABS  IN  MONTANA,  by 
W.  M.  Safley.  We  started  in 
the  squab  business  in  May, 
1908,  with  two  hundred  of  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Extra  Homers. 
We  have  sold  squabs  most  of 
the  time  since,  but  have  saved 
four  hundred,  of  which  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  are  at 
work.  We  have  sold  about 
forty-five  dozen  squabs  since 
June  1,  1909.  There  is  no 
trouble  about  the  market  here 
in  Montana.  We  have  quarters 
for  one  thousand  birds  and  ex- 
pect soon  to  fill  the  houses.  I 
am  in  the  business  to  stay.  We 
are  at  present  getting  $3.50  per 
dozen  for  squabs  unsorted, 
plucked,  F.  O.  B.  We  ship  to 
Helena,  only  thirty-three  miles, 
so  have  never  used  ice  to  pack 
in .  We  use  peach  crates  mostly , 
packing  two  dozen  in  a  crate, 
but  will  use  the  corrugated 
boxes  as  soon  as  we  can.  The 
young  shoots  of  grease  wood 
are  our  nest  material. 


EFFECT  OF  MONTANA  APRIL  SNOW. 

Four    pens    after    a  snow  on  April  13,  1909.     The  snow  was  all 
melted  before  noon.     Photograph  from  W.  M.  Safley. 


HOW  THE  MARKET  RUNS  AFTER 
SQUABS,  by  John  E.  Gilbert.  About  six 
years  ago  I  began  to  look  into  the  squab  busi- 
ness from  a  straight  business  viewpoint.  All 
I  knew  about  the  business  was  what  I  read 
and  after  reading  I  got  to  thinking.  I  first 
wondered  whether  I  could  sell  all  the  squabs 
I  raised.  I  often  had  read  about  the  large 
hotels  using  thousands  of  squabs  a  week,  so 
I  ventured  to  go  to  several  hotels  in  Philadel- 
phia, the  Bellevue-Stratford,  Bingham  and 
Walton,  and  each  chef  in  charge  told  me  he 
could  use  all  the  squabs  I  could  bring  him, 
but  they  had  to  be  prime,  large  ones.  There 
was  an  old  breeder  who  served  the  Bingham 
Hotel  regularly  every  week,  but  with  hotels 
you  must  have  quantity  as  well  as  quality. 

As  an  ordinary  person  cannot  comprehend 
the  demand  for  squabs  I  will  say  that  when 
hotels  and  other  large  institutions  cannot  be 
supplied  by  the  breeder  himself,  they  turn  to 
the  commission  merr,  who  ".eve  hundreds  of 
shipments  daily  from  all  parts  ot  the  country 
within  a  radius  of  five  hundred  miles.  Com- 
mission men  take  .-.ny  quantity,  small  or  large, 
and  can  be  better  relied  upon  by  the  hotels 
because  of  the  large  army  of  squab  breeding 
shippers  pouring  squabs  into  one  firm.  If  a 
breeder  cared,  he  could  increase  his  flock 
large  enough  to  supply  the  trade  direct,  and 
make  a  good  deal  more  on  his  squabs. 

Every  person  without  doubt  has  wondered 
whether  he  really  could  sell  the  squabs  he 
could  raise,  and  whether  there  really  is  a  big 
demand  for  squabs.  It  is  positively  a  truthful 
fact  that  the  demand  for  squabs  is  equal  in 
some  sections  to  the  demand  for  eggs,  although 
this  may  not  seem  so  to  many,  when  you  think 
how  many  people  eat  eggs.  You  never  have 


heard  of  squabs  being  seized  from  dealers 
by  the  United  States  food  experts  and  destroyed 
as  you  have  very  often  heard  about  eggs. 
The  fact  is,  there  is  at  times  an  over-production 
of  eggs.  The  demand  for  squabs  everywhere 
cannot  at  present  be  supplied,  and  will  not 
be  supplied  for  some  years  to  come. 

In  many  localities  it  is  not  necessary  to 
ship  squabs  now,  as  commission  men  have 
buyers  in  all  parts  of  the  country  to  take  the 
squabs  right  at  your  place,  and  pay  you  cash. 
There  is  more  competition  in  buying  squabs 
than  one  would  imagine,  as  each  dealer  has 
his  trade  to  supply  and  must  have  the  squabs. 
When  commission  men  will  send  out  their 
men  to  visit  the  squab  plants  to  get  the  goods 
direct,  and  have  your  assurance  that  you  will 
let  them  have  your  squabs,  this  should  be 
confidence  enough  to  cause  any  one  to  enter 
the  squab  business. 

HOW  TO  KNIFE  A  SQUAB  WITHOUT 
PAIN,  by  F.  J.  Bunce.  In  killing  squabs,  by 
inserting  the  knife  well  back  in  the  throat, 
the  picker  will  come  in  contact  with  a  little, 
hard  lump,  which  is  the  brain  cell.  The  knife 
should  be  drawn  sharply  through  the  brain 
and  up  toward  the  point  of  the  bill. 

It  is  always  possible  to  tell  if  the  sticking 
has  been  done  properly.  If  it  has,  a  con- 
vulsive shudder  will  pass  over  the  bird,  the 
wings  draw  back  and  the  eyes  become  set, 
but  if  the  bird  continues  to  kick  and  gasp  for 
breath,  the  sticking  has  not  been  done  cor- 
rectly. If  the  sticking  is  right,  the  bird  should 
be  perfectly  dead  in  two  minutes.  If  the 
bird  does  not  die  as  fast  as  the  picker  thinks 
it  should,  another  quick  incision  should  be 
made.  This  as  a  4,-uk,  will  be  sufficient. 


362 


APPENDIX  G 


MR.  TROXEL'S  SQUAB  KILLING  CHUTE. 


I  CAN  SELL  100  DOZEN  DAILY  IN 
OREGON,  by  Louis  A.  Hart.  The  squab 
market  here  is  quoted  in  the  papers  at  $2.50 
per  dozen,  but  I  just  ignore  that  price  and  go 
to  Mr.  Hotel  Man  and  engage  my  pound  birds 
at  $5.50  and  the  nine  pound  to  the  dozen  birds 
at  $4.50.  I  find  the  market  firm  and  demand, 
well,  say,  I  guess  I  could  sell  one  hundred 
dozen  every  day  if  I  only  had  them  Only 
you  who  are  near  New  York  city  can  appreciate 
the  position  that  I  am  in,  for  it  surely  looks 
good  to  me.  The  staple  grain  is  wheat,  al- 
though some  corn  and  barley  are  raised.  I 
am  located  close  to  a  broom  factory,  so  for 
nesting  material  I  use  the  refuse  broom  straws, 
with  all  the  dead  twigs  I  can  find. 

HOW  I  TEST  EGGS  THROUGH  A  STRAW 
HAT,  by  H.  A.  Davis.  For  an  egg  tester,  I 
use  a  straw  hat  draped  with  black  cloth  that 
draws  together  with  a  string  at  the  bottom 
around  my  shoulders.  This  is  practically  a 
small  dark  room  for  one's  head,  except  for  a 
small  hole  opposite  the  eye  through  which  the 
egg  to  be  tested  is  seen  when  held  to  the  light. 
The  egg  is  held  close  to  the  hole  to  shut  out 
all  light,  and  it  is  surprising  how  easy  it  is 


EXPERT  TELLS  HOW  TO 
KILL  AND  PLUCK,  by  Clinton 
L.  Troxel.  Being  a  poultry 
dresser  long  enough  to  dress 
more  than  forty  thousand  chick- 
ens, I  will  give  you  a  good  idea 
how  to  dry-pick  squabs.  They 
look  better  than  when  scalded. 
.,  It  is  also  much  quicker.  One 
»  can  be  killed,  dressed  and 
drawn  in  less  than  five  min- 
utes. I  dress  them  upon  a 
barrel.  (This  is  fixed  in  a  man- 
ner known  to  poultry  dressers 
as  a  chute.)  The  way  it  is 
made  is  to  take  a  barrel  and 
place  it  upon  a  box  one  foot 
high.  This  makes  the  barrel 
the  right  height .  Place  another 
box,  which  may  be  about  two 
feet  square,  with  the  top,  bot- 
tom and  end  removed,  upon  the 
barrel.  This  leaves  the  re- 
maining three  sides  to  form  a 
shield  around  your  squab,  which 
keeps  the  feathers  from  drop- 
ping upon  the  floor.  They 
will  drop  into  the  barrel,  where  they  can  be 
saved,  then  sold. 

Over  the  center  of  the  barrel  is  a  board  eight 
inches  wide,  which  is  used  to  lay  the  squab  upon 
while  dressing.  This  board  is  padded  so  as 
not  to  bruise  the  squab.  At  far  end  of  the 
board  is  a  hole  two  inches  round.  Below  this 
hole  a  cup  is  placed  so  that  the  blood  cannot 
drop  upon  the  feathers.  At  the  other  side 
of  the  hole  a  sharp  hook  is  set. 

Place  the  bill  over  the  hook,  hold  the  feet, 
and  tip  the  wings  in  the  left  hand.  Insert  a 
sharp-pointed  knife  in  front  of  the  eye,  upward 
into  the  brain.  Bleed  from  the  side  of  the 
throat;  sticking  in  this  way  causes  the  squab 


to  give  up  its  feathers  more  easily,  and  at  same 

it  also  loses  its  feeling. 
One  would  be  surprised  to  see  how  quickly 


to  tell  whether  the  egg  is  fertile  or  not.  When 
we  pass  through  the  pen  to  test,  we  glance 
at  the  date  the  egg  should  hatch,  and  reckon 
back  ten  days.  Thus  we  are  testing  an  egg 
about  eight  days  old,  and  we  have  gained 
more  than  ten  days  more  than  once,  by  testing, 
which  only  takes  a  few  minutes.  We  like 
to  record  on  the  sticker  the  date  the  egg  should 
hatch  rather  than  the  date  it  was  laid.  We 
find  our  birds  will  drink  from  the  bathpan 
but  since  we  have  whitewashed  the  bathpans 
once  a  week  in  summer,  their  bowels  are  in 
better  condition  than  before.  We  put  a  piece 
of  rock  lime  about  the  size  of  a  hickory  nut 
in  each  drinking  fountain  also. 


and  easily  a  squab  can  be  dressed.  The  tail, 
wings,  entrails  and  head  can  be  placed  in  a  pail 
which  hangs  near. 

In  front  right-hand  corner,  a  small  shelf  is 
used  to  support  a  lamp  for  night  work.  In 
front  left-hand  corner  is  another  shelf  upon 
which  is  a  cup  of  water  in  which  to  moisten  the 
fingers. 

After  dressing,  draw  and  remove  the  head, 
singe  and  put  into  pan  of  cold  water  for  four  or 
five  hours.  Add  pinch  of  salt  to  the  water. 

I  have  no  trouble  in  disposing  of  my  squabs 
after  dressing  like  above.  We  find  in  this 
locality,  with  prices  high  on  feed,  that  it  costs 
$1.25  per  pair  per  year.  Our  birds  average 
about  five  pairs  squabs  per  year.  We  get 
twenty-five  cents  each  alive  for  them.  This 
gives  us  a  profit  of  $1.25  on  each  pair  a  year 
after  paying  above  amount  for  feed. 

Did  you  ever  see  a  drunken  pigeon  raiser? 
Rum  and  squabs  don't  mix.  There  is  no  such 
thing  as  a  squab  plant  with  a  whiskey  bottle 
hid  in  the  grain  bin. 


APPENDIX  G 


363 


HOSPITAL,  CLUB,  FAMI- 
LIES, $3.50  DOZEN,  by  West- 
ley  O'Harra.  I  have  never 
shipped  any  squabs  as  I  have 
hard  work  supplying  the  home 
market  (Ohio).  We  have  a  large 
new  private  hospital,  which 
takes  five  dozen  a  week.  The 
first  club  of  the  city  takes  ten 
or  twelve  dozen  just  as  I  hap- 
pen to  have  them.  Then  with 
the  family  trade  I  can  dispose 
of  all  and  more  than  I  can  sup- 
ply. I  am  thinking  of  enlarg- 
ing my  plant  soon.  I  get  $3.53 
a  dozen  the  year  round  without 
sorting,  feather  dressed. 

I  do  not  believe  in  starting 
with  a  small  number  and  breed 
ing  up  your  own  flock.  I  tried 
that  for  a  year  without  selling 
any  squabs,  then  bought  a  large 
flock  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers  and  began  to  get  re- 
sults. One  thing  I  accomplished  that  first  year 
was  proper  feeding,  which  I  wish  to  say  is  the 
most  essential  point  to  the  best  results  in  this 
business.  Do  not  be  afraid  to  give  them  plenty 
to  eat.  I  use  the  self-feeders,  which  I  keep 
filled  with  plenty  of  cracked  corn  and  red 
wheat.  I  have  always  had  good  results  with 
these  boxes.  If  any  feedbox  is  not  successful, 
it  generally  is  due  to  the  fact  that  it  is  not 
kept  free  of  the  dust  which  accumulates  in 
the  slit  where  the  grain  falls  through.  I  sift 
all  of  my  corn  and  wheat  and  clean  my  feed 
boxes  once  a  week,  give  my  birds  plenty  of 
good,  fresh  drinking  water,  with  bath  water 
twice  a  week.  I  have  found  that  straw  is  a 
good  lice  producer  and  that  the  only  way  to 
stop  the  lice  is  to  use  tobacco  stems  for  nest 
material. 

HOW  TO  HANDLE  TWO  KINDS  OF 
BUYERS,  by  Arthur  S.  Burlingame.  Selling 
squabs  direct  to  consumers  no  doubt  will  bring 
in  the  most  money,  but  all  people  cannot  look 
after  a  retail  trade,  as  it  takes  considerably 
more  time.  One  can  get  good  prices,  however, 
by  grading  his  squabs  according  to  weight. 
A  breeder  of  squabs  ought  to  have  a  price  for 
his  birds  in  proportion  to  their  weight  by  the 
dozen.  A  squab  that  weighs  a  pound  surely 
ought  to  be  worth  more  than  one  weighing 
twelve  ounces.  I  have  about  forty  pairs  of 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and  very  often  get 
squabs  that  weigh  sixteen  to  twenty  ounces 
each,  and  never  have  had  any  less  than  twelve 
ounces  at  four  weeks  old.  When  I  started  to 
sell  my  squabs,  I  sold  them  to  a  large  market 
and  received  twenty-five  cents  each,  and 
sometimes  thirty  cents,  according  to  their 
supply  and  demand.  I  tried  to  get  more 
for  the  larger  ones,  but  they  would  not  pay 
any  more.  They  told  me  a  squab  was  a  squab, 
and  that  they  sold  them  all  for  the  same  price. 
They  had  them  marked  on  the  poultry  counter 
at  forty-five  cents  each.  Not  satisfied  with 
these  prices,  I  looked  around  and  found  a 


MR.  O'HARRA'S  SQUAB  FARM. 


smaller  market  that  sold  to  a  more  particular 
trade,  and  this  one  wanted  squabs  that  weighed 
twelve  or  thirteen  pounds  to  the  dozen.  For 
the  first  Jot  I  took  there  I  received  thirty-five 
cents  each,  and  have  worked  the  price  up  to 
forty  cents.  I  think  they  sell  them  to  their 
trade  at  about  fifty-five  or  sixty  cents  each. 
This  still  left  me  the  ten  and  eleven-pounds- 
to-the-dozen  birds,  which  are  very  good  sizes. 
I  went  to  a  good  hotel  and  acked  if  they  used 
squabs,  and  they  said  they  used  them  all  the 
year  and  would  like  any  that  I  might  bring  in, 
provided  they  weighed  from  ten  to  eleven 
pounds  to  the  dozen,  just  the  ones  I  wanted 
to  sell.  I  quoted  thirty-five  cents  each,  and 
they  were  willing  to  pay  that.  They  list  on 
their  menu,  "  Native  Squab  75c."  I  simply 
have  to  kill  the  birds.  I  made  a  machine 
according  to  instructions  in  Rice's  Manual 
and  it  is  all  right.  I  catch  the  squabs  after 
dark  and  kill  them  in  the  morning  and  let 
them  hang  in  a  cool  place  and  take  them  to 
market  the  next  morning.  I  would  rather 
kill  a  dozen  or  more  squabs  than  to  kill  one 
chicken.  It  is  much  more  simple  and  very 
much  cleaner. 

My  squabs  weighing  from  nine  to  ten  pounds 
I  turn  into  the  first  market  at  $3  to  $3.60  a 
dozen.  They  seem  satisfied  and  I  am. 

Don't  sell  ycur  largest  birds  in  the  same  lot 
with  the  smallest  sizes,  unless  they  pay  you 
more.  You  can  find  several  places  where 
the  trade  calls  for  the  smaller  sizes,  and  others 
who  want  the  better  birds.  You  can  keep 
all  satisfied  and  hold  their  trade.  I  would 
not  put  in  the  large  birds  (in  case  your  pur- 
chaser of  that  size  was  overstocked)  with  the' 
smaller  ones.  If  you  do,  they  will  expect  to 
get  them  all  the  time.  Eat  them  yourself. 

I  have  not  found  much  of  a  demand  fen- 
squabs  weighing  from  one  and  a  half  to  two 
pounds. 

Always  make  your  deals  with  the  owner  of 
the  place;  he  is  the  man.  Show  him  what  you 
have  and  he  will  appreciate  quality. 


364 


APPENDIX  G 


RED  CARNEAU.        SPLASHED  CARNEAU. 


HOW  TO  PATCH  AND  HATCH  BROKEN 
EGGS,  by  M.  C.  Martin.  One  who  deals  in 
high-priced  pigeons  can  by  hatching  out  the 
broken  eggs  save  many  dollars.  Infertile 
eggs  should  be  saved  for  patching  the  cracked 
or  broken  eggs.  In  warm  weather  place  these 
in  a  small  box  in  the  squabhouse.  In  the  winter 
keep  some  "fresh"  infertile  eggs  where  they 
will  not  freeze,  and  whenever  you  find  a  "  good" 
egg  that  is  cracked  or  broken,  select  an  infertile 
egg  of  similar  size.  If  the  egg  is  broken  on 
an  end,  take  an  end  half  of  the  infertile  egg  and 

Elace  it  over  the  egg  to  be  patched,  and  if  the 
t  is  a  good  one  put  the  egg  back  in  the  nest 
and  as  soon  as  the  shell  lining  is  dry,  it  will 
fit  like  glue  to  the  "good"  egg.  If  an  egg 
is  broken  on  the  side,  break  the  shell  of  the 
infertile  egg  lengthwise  and  patch  the  egg  as 
above  directed. 

Unless  a  good  round,  sound  shell  covers  the 
egg,  the  two  will  roll  together  in  the  nest  and 
the  broken  or  "  dented  "  shell  will  soon  be 
broken  in  by  the  other  egg,  hence  the  reason 
for  patching  the  egg.  Of  course  if  the  mem- 
brane of  the  egg  is  broken,  there  is  no  remedy, 
but  this  is  very  seldom  the  case,  and  the 
patching  can  be  done  very  quickly  as  this  is  a 
very  simple  method. 

I  have  a  flock  of  175  Homers  and  am  getting 
$4  a  dozen  for  my  squabs.  I  ship  them  to 
Charlotte.— J.  Paul  Leonard,  North  Carolina. 


HOW  A  PRACTICAL  IOWA 
PLANT  IS  RUN,  by  P.  P. 
French,  M.D.  From  what  ex- 
perience I  have  had  with  a 
number  of  different  varieties  of 
pigeons,  it  is  my  opinion  that  a 
good  Homer  is  hard  to  beat  for 
squab  purposes.  By  keeping 
our  Dirdsin  large  pens,  it  reduces 
the  labor  of  taking  care  of  them 
to  a  minimum.  We  try  to  keep 
the  flock  as  nearly  mated  as 
possible.  We  know  they  were 
mated  in  the  first  place,  and 
when  an  old  bird  dies  it  is  an 
easy  matter  to  break  it  open 
and  see  whether  it  is  a  male  or 
female  and  then  replace  it  from 
our  small  pen  with  one  of  the 
same  sex.  That  method  comes 
the  nearest  to  keeping  a  flock 
mated  of  any  I  know,  keeping 
the  birds  in  large  pens  as  we 
do,  and  while  it  is  not  a  perfect 
method,  I  consider  it  good 
enough  for  all  practical  pur- 
poses, and  does  away  with  a  lot 
of  time  spent  in  banding,  num 
bering  and  recording.  I  tried 
that  method  when  I  first  started 
in  the  business,  but  soon  gave 
it  up  and  adopted  the  other 
method,  and  have  been  just  as 
well  satisfied  with  the  results. 
Again  by  keeping  a  large  num- 
ber of  birds  in  a  pen  it  is  pos- 
sible for  one  man  to  take  care 
of  ten  thousand  birds,  except  picking  the  squabs, 
and  I  believe  in  having  the  same  man  take 
care  of  the  birds  all  the  time  if  possible,  because 
they  very  much  object  to  having  strangers 
around. 

Regarding  prices  I  can  say  that  we  ship  our 
squabs  to  Chicago,  and  last  year  (1910)  they 
averaged  us  thirty-two  cents  apiece  net  the 
year  round,  leaving  us  a  profit  of  over  a  dollar 
a  pair  for  our  flock,  and  by  that  I  mean  all 
expenses  for  feed,  etc.,  except  the  work. 

I  go  to  Chicago  in  the  spring  and  fall  and 
sell  our  entire  output  of  squabs  for  the  suc- 
ceeding six  months  at  a  contract  price,  and  by 
so  doing  we  know  just  where  we  are  at  all  the 
time,  and  do  not  have  to  feel  that  we  are 
getting  stung  by  sharp  buyers,  as  the  element 
of  doubt  is  removed. 

I  am  getting  for  squabs  dressed:  1  pound, 
$6.00  per  dozen;  14  ounces,  $5.50  per  dozen; 
12  ounces,  $5.00  per  dozen;  10  ounces,  $4.50 
per  dozen.  I  sell  nothing  less  than  ten  ounces 
and  have  fair  luck  with  my  birds,  my  prices  and 
squabs.  My  squabs  advertise  themselves. — 
Albert  H.  Gerling,  Illinois. 

Question:  Do  you  believe  in  pulling  out 
the  tail  feathers  of  young  pigeons,  to  help 
them  grow?  Answer:  No,  it  is  unsightly,  and 
unnecessary.  Let  Nature  attend  to  this  mat- 
ter in  her  own  way. 


APPENDIX  G 


365 


GOOD  SQUABS  SHOULD 
BE  SHIPPED  RIGHT,  by  B. 
F.  Babcock.  Shipment  of  Sep- 
tember 23,  1909. 
jt  dozen  10-pound  squabs.  .$2.13 
2  dozen  9-pound  squabs .  .  7.00 
i  dozen  8-pound  squabs . .  1.40 
$10.53 

The  above  is  a  statement  of 
a  shipment  of  Plymouth  Rock 
Homer  squabs  that  I  have  made 
lately  to  a  New  York  commis- 
sion merchant  and  shows  the 
actual  cash  received  by  me. 
The  following  is  a  copy  of  part 
of  the  letter  received  from  the 
commission  merchant,  under 
shipment  of  October  14: 

"  We  received  from  you  this 
week  a  shipment  of  squabs  for 
which  we  are  enclosing  check 
and  account  sales.  Your  birds 
were  very  fine  and  hope  that 
you  will  continue  to  send  us 
your  output." 

In  making  the  above  two  ship- 
ments no  pick  of  birds  was  made, 
taking  the  birds  of  killable  age 
from  each  pen.  But  in  the  fol- 
lowing matters  I  was  particular 
(and  it  is  the  only  way  to  be  a 
successful  shipper): 

A  clean  box,  clean  paper, 
clean  ice,  clean  birds,  clean 
mouths,  and  clean  feet,  and  to 
make  the  shipment  more  at- 
tractive when  the  box  is  opened, 
is  to  wrap  the  heads  in  tissue 
paper.  No  one  will  ever  regret 
following  the  above  particulars. 
I  have  a  nice  printed  card  which 
is  tacked  on  the  lid  of  the  box. 

ENORMOUS  DEMAND 
NOW  IN  CALIFORNIA,  by 
William  J.  Reid.  I  have  made 
a  canvass  of  the  local  market 
conditions  and  find  the  following 
state  of  affairs:  Several  commis- 
sion men  inform  me  that  they 
cannot  supply  the  demand,  par- 
ticularly during  the  last  year; 
that  small,  common  squabs,  "  rejects,"  weigh- 
ing six  and  seven  pounds,  find  ready  sale  at 
$3.50  and  $4.00  a  dozen;  that  Homers  are  very 
scarce,  those  that  can  be  obtained  being  easily 
disposed  of  at  $4.50  and  $5.50  a  dozen,  alive. 
From  these  figures  the  commission  men  deduct 
eight  per  cent  for  handling.  In  Oakland,  I 
bought  a  pair  of  dressed  Homer  squabs, 
medium  sized,  for  which  I  paid  $1.30.  Broiled, 
they  were  enjoyed  very  much  by  Mrs.  Reid 
and  myself.  The  marketman  stated  that  he 
can  handle  all  the  choice  Homers  brought  to 
him,  at  good  prices,  according  to  weight; 
would  pay  $4.50  and  $5.50  a  dozen.  At  the 
California  Market  (retail)  the  poultryman  told 
me  he  would  pay  $4.50  a  dozen  for  all  the 


A  PIGEON  AND  TWO  BUNCHES  OF  SQUABS. 


Homer  squabs  I  could  bring  him,  regardless 
of  weight.  All  the  dealers  agree  that  this  is 
not  a  temporary  condition ,  but  that  the  demand 
is  increasing  faster  than  the  supply,  and  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  forthcoming  World's 
Fair  will  not  hurt  the  business. 

A  year  and  a  half  ago  I  purchased  from  the 
Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Co.  eight  pairs  of 
Carneaux.  I  now  (June,  1911)  have  over 
three  hundred  of  all  ages,  of  which  some  eighty 
pairs  are  mated. — Percy  A.  Bath,  Ontario. 

The  difference  between  success  and  failure 
in  the  squab  business  is  the  difference  between 
work  and  hot  air. 


366 


APPENDIX  G 


APPENDIX  G 


367 


HOW  TO  PUSH  AND  HOW 
TO  COOK  SQUABS,  by  Fred 
M.  Parkeson.  I  have  seen  peo- 
ple pay  seventy-five_  and  eighty 
cents  for  a  chicken  in  the  mar- 
kets here  that  could  not  begin 
to  furnish  as  much  meat  as  a 
pair  of  my  four-weeks-old  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Homers,  not  men- 
tioning the  difference  in  the 
quality  of  the  meat.  Yet  if  you 
or  I  asked  them  why  they  did 
not  try  the  squabs  instead  of 
the  chicken  they  would  say: 
"  Well,  I  don't  know  how  to 
cook  them."  I  dare  say  that 
every  eight  put  of  ten  house- 
keepers in  this  State  have  never 
cooked  a  squab.  Now  the  ques- 
tion arises,  why?  I  can  answer 
it.  Every  morning  excepting 
Sundays  there  are  pedlars  going 
from  house  to  house  here  in  San 
Francisco  selling  fruits,  vege- 
tables, rabbits,  eggs,  butter  and 
even  live  chickens.  But  I  have 
yet  to  see  for  the  first  time  any 
one  going  to  the  homes  to  sell 
squabs.  There  seems  to  be  a 
mistaken  idea  that  the  working 
class  of  people  cannot  afford  to 
buy  squabs,  and  that  squabs 
are  for  the  rich  only,  but  such 
is  not  the  case,  as  can  easily 
be  proven  by  the  way  that  the 
working  class  buys  other  high- 
priced  articles  of  food  in  general. 
I  wish  that  I  were  so  situated 
that  I  could  put  in  a  stock  of  five  hundred 
pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  I  would  not 
hesitate  so  far  as  paying  me  a  nice  profit  is 
concerned.  I  wish  to  offer  a  recipe  for  cooking 
squabs.  This  recipe  has  been  prepared  exclu- 
sively by  Mr.  Victor  Hirtzler,  chef  of  the  St. 
Francis  Hotel,  San  Francisco,  California: 

Squab  en  Casserole 

Squab,  or  a  small  bird  of  any  kind,  is  very 
good  cooked  in  a  casserole.  Have  the  squab 
cleaned,  then  dust  ever  so  lightly  with  flour  and 
put  into  the  casserole  with  a  piece  of  butter  the 
size  of  an  egg.  Cook  for  twenty  minutes,  then 
add  one  small  tender  onion,  cut  fine,  three  or 
four  mushrooms  and  a  little  chopped  celery 
which  has  been  parboiled  in  salted  water.  Let 
this  bake  together  for  ten  minutes  then  add 
half  a  cup  of  strained  brown  gravy  and  two 
spoonfuls  of  sherry.  Let  simmer  for  ten 
minutes  until  the  squab  is  tender.  It  should 
be  very  tender  when  done.  Place  a  napkin 
neatly  about  your  baking  dish  and  serve  hot. 
Brown  gravy  is  made  by  browning  two  spoon- 
fuls of  butter  in  an  iron  pan  until  it  is  at  an 
even  color.  Stir  all  the  time.  Then  add  two 
cups  of  hot  water  and  a  spoonful  of  beet 
extract  and  simmer  for  half  an  hour.  Salt  and 
strain.  You  will  find  this  to  be  one  of  the 
most  delicious  dishes  you  ever  tasted. 


PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS  IN  TEXAS. 
The  two  marked  with  an  X  are  a  prize  pair  of  silvers. 


TRY    ROASTED    SQUABS    LIKE    THIS. 

Prepare  much  the  same  as  you  would  chickens. 
Scald,  pluck  and  clean,  tie  their  wings  against 
the  body,  place  in  baking  pan  on  backs,  put 
quarter-inch  hot  water  in  pan ,  place  on  bottom 
of  hot  oven  and  cook  slowly  thirty  minutes, 
then  baste  and  put  another  baking  pan  over 
them  and  put  on  grate  in  oven  for  one  hour, 
basting  occasionally  while  cooking.  Remem- 
ber a  slow  fire  is  better  than  a  hot  one,  and  the 
oftener  basted  the  better,  but  do  not  cool 
oven  opening  too  frequently.  Cooked  in  this 
way,  you  have  a  dish  fit  for  kings.  None  of 
the  thin  parts  are  burned  and  bitter.  The 
flesh  leaves  the  bones  freely.  The  wings,  legs 
and  small  muscles  on  the  back  are  all  good, 
delicious.  After  trying  them  this  way,  you 
will  find  you  can  afford  them  much  oftener 
than  you  thought  you  could,  as  there  is  more 
meat  on  the  legs,  wings  and  thin  parts  than 
you  ever  thought  there  was,  when  served 
broiled.  Avoid  squabs  of  the  common  pigeon. 
Secure  good,  fat,  genuine  Plymouth  Rock 
squabs  and  prepare  as  above,  and  you  will 
always  want  more  and  consider  them  cheap 
at  any  price. 

I  started  three  years  ago  with  thirty-six  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Homers.  I  have  now  nineteen 
units  on  Mr.  Rice's  plan,  and  have  between  1200 
and  1500  birds.— W.  C.  Hyer,  South  Carolina. 


368 


APPENDIX  G 


HOW 

ALONG 


I    PUSH    SQUABS 
IN    TACOMA, 


BACK  YARD  SQUAB  BREEDING.    " 

Showing  that  squabhouses  in  the  rear  of  a  city  home  may 
made  attractive  and  interesting.  A  very  satisfactory  business 
considerable  magnitude  has  been  built  up  here.  For  particulars, 
the  accompanying  article. 


WHAT  WE  HAVE  DONE  WITH  SIX 
PAIRS,  by  Columbus  Nelson.  We  started 
here  in  the  State  of  Washington  two  years  ago 
with  six  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers. 
From  these  we  now  have  over  two  hundred 
mated  pairs  of  breeders.  We  sell  the  squabs 
in  Anacortes  at  a  good  figure.  Besides  saving 
a  number  of  pairs  of  breeders  during  March, 
over  $20  worth  of  squabs  were  sold  to  local 
fanciers  and  eager  consumers.  Ours  is  the 
only  plant  of  the  kind,  so  far  as  we  know,  in 
Skagit  County.  In  connection  with  squabs, 
my  wife  and  I  make  a  specialty  of  thorough- 
bred buff  and  white  Orpingtons  and  Pekin 
ducks.  We  expect  to  enlarge  our  plant  to  two 
thousand  mated  pairs  of  Homers,  and  then  will 
devote  our  entire  time  and  our  five-acre  tract 
to  the  raising  of  squabs  for  the  city  markets. 
We  declare,  after  much  work,  careful  study 
and  experiment,  that  the  business  will  be  a 
complete  success. 

To  break  up  floor  nesting,  first  let  the  male 
and  female  build  the  nest  and  as  soon  as  she 
has  laid  the  first  egg,  take  her  and  her  egg 
and  nest  and  put  her  in  a  nestbox.  Put  on 
a  wire  door  so  she  cannot  get  out.  The  door 
must  be  taken  away  at  night,  so  she  will  not 
see  you.  You  will  not  have  any  more  trouble 
with  them.  I  have  been  raising  pigeons  since 
September,  1908,  and  have  one  hundred  pairs 
of  Homers  and  Carneaux.  I  send  my  squabs 
to  New  York,  where  I  receive  the  top  price. — 
Walter  Hudson,  Connecticut 


ALONG  IN  TACOMA,  by 
Adam  Sossong.  I  started  with 
one  dozen  common  pigeons 
about  two  years  ago  to  see  how 
it  would  pay  raising  squabs  for 
market.  I  raised  one  dozen 
squabs  from  the  commons,  took 
them  to  the  Tacoma  Hotel. 
The  first  question  asked  was, 
are  they  Homer  squabs?  I  had 
to  tell  him ,  no.  The  answer  he 
gave  me  was  to  get  Homers  and 
he  would  buy  the  squabs  at  all 
times.  So  I  came  to  think  that 
I  would  sell  the  commons  and 
buy  Homers.  I  bought  two 
dozen.  As  soon  as  I  glanced 
over  Mr.  Rice's  Manual,  I  saw 
some  mistakes  on  my  coops  and 
nests.  I  took  the  book,  read  it 
over  carefully  and  followed  his 
directions  up  to  the  mark.  I 
did  not  have  any  more  trouble 
selling  my  squabs,  and  got  more 
customers  in  a  short  time.  At 
present  I  have  four  hundred 
pairs  of  Homer  squab  breeders, 
which  are  doing  their  best  and 
raising  fine  squabs.  I  do  all  my 
selling  to  hotels  and  high-class 
fraternity  clubs.  My  squab- 
houses  are  in  my  back  yard.  (See 
photograph.)  I  praise  soaked 
wheat  bread  which  I  give  to 
my  birds  twice  a  week,  all  that  they  will  eat, 
and  green  vegetables  such  as  lettuce,  clover  and 
cabbage.  I  will  give  you  the  prices  on  all 
the  feed.  Wheat  is  $2.35,  peas  $4,  kaffir  corn 
$3.50,  millet  $3,  scratch  food  $2.35,  hemp  $7, 
flaxseed  $4,  buckwheat  $6. 

The  prices  for  squabs  are  from  $3.75  to 
$4.50;  if  you  supply  good  squabs,  you  get  top 
prices,  for  there  is  always  a  big  demand. 
There  are  lots  of  markets  here  that  would  buy 
squabs  if  they  could  get  them  and  enough  of 
them  to  keep  the  trade.  I  don't  bother  with 
any  markets.  I  have  my  steady  weekly  cus- 
tomers. I  dress  all  my  squabs  and  get  top 
prices.  I  get  letters  from  Seattle  for  squabs 
so  I  am  not  worried  about  not  having  a  sale. 
I  am  going  to  get  a  few  acres  next  fall  and 
then  I  will  put  in  a  large  stock  of  breeders. 
The  more  Tacoma  is  growing  the  better  squab 
sales  there  will  be.  Take  my  advice  and  get 
interested  in  raising  squabs. 

I  was  troubled  by  three  and  four  weeks  old 
squabs  leaving  the  nests,  especially  those  close 
to  floor.  I  have  begun  to  wire  each  in  with 
two-inch  poultry  wire,  tacking  a  six-inch  piece 
of  lath  on  to  the  front  for  a  perch,  so  that  par- 
ents may  alight  there  and  feed  them  through 
the  wire.  Most  parents  feed  them  O.  K.  I 
have  had  a  few  that  seemed  to  be  allowed  to 
starve  to  death. — E.  S.  Riggs,  Missouri. 

Keep  your  squabhouses  clean,  and  neat 
looking;  that  is,  if  you  wish  to  interest  visitors. 


APPENDIX    G 


369 


FROM  AFLAT  TO  SQUABS 
IN  THE  COUNTRY,  by  Laura 
A.  Pierson.  A  year  ago  I  be- 
came interested  in  the  subject 
of  squab  raising  through  a  mag- 
azine article,  and  determined  to 
inform  myself  with  a  view  to 
engaging  in  the  business.  I 
accordingly  sent  for  the  "  Na- 
tional Standard  Squab  Book  " 
and  read  it  through.  At  that 
time  we  were  living  in  a  sub- 
urban flat,  but  contemplated 


moving  to  our  present  location, 
g  of 
1909. 


which  we  did  in  the  spring 


There  is  a  barn  on  the  lot, 
the  loft  of  which  we  fixed  for 
pigeons,  the  lower  floor  for 
chickens.  We  built  flies  to  the 
south  and  have  a  nice  chicken- 
run  to  the  east.  The  chickens 
are  simply  to  supply  our  own 
table,  although  we  have  a  sur- 
plus of  eggs,  and  have  enjoyed 
the  sale  of  some  at  the  extremely 
high  prices  the  past  winter.  The 
flock  of  pigeons  we  intend  to 
increase  as  rapidly  as  possible 
and  concentrate  on  as  a  busi- 
ness. 

Last  August  we  received  thir- 
teen pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock 
Extra  Homers.  The  birds  set- 
tled down  very  promptly  and 
have  worked  well.  We  now  feel 
that  we  are  sufficiently  experi- 
enced to  handle  a  larger  flock 
and  are  fixing  our  quarters  for 
more  birds.  We  have  ordered 
one  hundred  pairs  more. 

WHAT  I  AM  DOING  WITH 
A  SMALL  FLOCK,  by  Walter 
Sieverling.  Six  months  ago  I 
ordered  three  pairs  of  Plymouth 
Rock  Extra  Homers.  They  ar- 
rived in  good  condition  and  in 
a  week  they  had  eggs.  I  fed 
them  the  best  that  could  be 
bought  and  they  repaid  me  with 
fine,  big,  fat  squabs.  It  was 
very  funny  to  see  them  claim 
their  nests.  I  had  other  Homers 
in  the  house  at  the  time  but  in 
the  end  the  new  Homers  were 
the  winners.  They  were  larger 
and  could  handle  my  birds  like  babies.  I 
have  nine  pairs  working  now  and  in  May  I 
had  nine  pairs  of  eggs  in  the  nests.  The  day 
the  first  pair  hatched  out  the  last  pair  laid 
their  eggs.  They  all  hatched  and  I  had  eigh- 
teen squabs  all  of  good  size.  The  largest  I 
had  was  a  pair  of  red  checks  which  weighed, 
one  twenty  ounces,  and  the  other  twenty-two. 

In  order  to  raise  good-sized  birds,  cull  your 
squabs  when  they  leave  the  nest  and  after  they 
develop. 


NOTE  SIZE  OF  THESE  EXTRA  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS. 


One  of  the  Chicago  houses  has  contracts 
with  a  squab  raiser  paying  $2.50  for  six-pound 
squabs,  $3.00  for  seven-pound  squabs,  $3.50 
for  eight-pound  squabs  and_  $4.00  for  nine- 
pound  squabs.  One  man  in  Iowa  has  six 
thousand  old  birds  and  has  a  yearly  contract 
with  this  house. — H.  Huecker,  Illinois. 

Don't  ship  to  a  wholesaler  unless  you  are 
wholesaling.  If  you  want  retail  prices,  go  and 
get  them  according  to  the  directions  given  in 
the  Squab  " 


370 


APPENDIX    G 


PLYMOUTH  ROCK  CARXEAU  SQUAB. 

Weight  one  pound,  age  three  weeks.  Two  views  of  the  same 
squab.  In  the  upper  picture  the  squab  is  compared  with  an  ordinary 
glass  tumbler,  to  show  size. 


I  USE  STEMS  OF  LEAVES 
FOR  NESTING,  by  Dutch 
Cropper.  I  fully  believe  pig- 
eons prefer  dark-colored  ma- 
terial for  their  nests.  Just  give 
them  a  chance  at  the  stems  of 
different  kinds  of  leaves,  such  as 
are  easily  gathered  from  under 
the  black  walnut,  butternut  or 
locust  tree;  also,  the  inner  bark 
torn  from  cedar  posts  or  logs, 
and  the  bark  of  the  grape-vine. 
I  have  known  instances  where 
salt-marsh  hay  was  bought  for 
the  purpose,  when,  with  very 
little  effort,  material  far  more 
desirable  could  have  been  pro- 
cured right  on  the  owner's  place. 

I  have  made  beautiful  jack- 
straws  out  of  rye  and  oat  stalks 
which  were  absolutely  refused. 
Tangled  oat  straw  they  will  use, 
but  give  them  a  chance  at  one 
or  the  other  of  the  above,  and 
note  the  difference  in  the  archi- 
tecture of  their  nests. 

The  Fulton  Market  Company 
are  now  buying  squabs  at  thirty 
cents  a  pound  and  sell  them  at 
forty  cents  a  pound.  They  say 
they  rather  quote  them  by 
pound,  because  the  size  varies 
so  much.  The  demand  is  dull 
just  now  (August),  and  they  are 
bs  in  cold  storage. 


HOW  MY  BIRDS  GET  NESTING  MA- 
TERIAL, by  Harvey  Drake.  The  usual  way  is 
to  use  crates  to  hold  the  material,  but  what 
the  birds  pull  out  and  do  not  want  they  throw 
or  drop  down  until  they  find  what  they  do 
want.  I  have  found  a  way  to  overcome  this. 
Take  a  box  about  one  and  one-half  feet  deep, 
one  foor  wide  and  three  or  four  feet  long  and 
put  it  under  the  window.  Then  take  a  board 
'a  little  larger  than  the  box  you  use  and  fasten 
it  to  the  window  for  a  sill  inside  like  a  shelf. 
This  protects  the  nesting  material  from  being 
soiled  by  birds  sitting  on  the  window  sill,  also 
if  a  shower  of  rain  comes  up  in  summer  when 
the  windows  are  up,  the  material  is  protected. 
I  put  the  nesting  material  I  use  in  the  box 
and  do  not  fill  it  more  than  one- third  full. 
The  birds  fly  down  in  this  and  pick  it  over  until 
they  find  what  they  want,  and  then  fly  to  their 
nesting  place. 

A  year  ago  in  May  I  bought  five  hundred 
pigeons  of  the  Homer  variety  and  lately  I  have 
bought  two  hundred  and  fifty  pairs  more.  I 
am  greatly  interested  and  have  been  greatly 
encouraged  the  past  three  months,  as  I  have 
been  getting  $4.00  net  for  all  of  my  nine-pound 
squabs,  and  $3.25  for  those  weighing  less,  and 
never  have  been  able  to  fill  the  orders  I  get. — 
D.  G.  Barstow,  Missouri. 


elde  will  pa> 
squabs  and  sel 
it  $2.75  and  $3.     I  visited  the 


dozen  for  squabs  and  sell  them 


farm  of  .the  O'Harra  Squab  Company.  Trie 
proprietor,  Wesley  O'Harra,  has  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers.  Mr.  O'Harra  sells  his  squabs 
direct  to  the  consumers  and  gets  from  thirty- 
three  and  one-third  cents  to  forty  cents  each 
dressed.  This  is  at  the  rate  of  $4  to  $4.80  a 
dozen. — R.  D.  Hiatt,  Ohio. 

VASELINE  FOR  CANKER,  by  L.  T.  Dunn. 

Please  publish  this  for  the  good  of  those  who 
raise  pigeons  as  it  is  the  most  valuable  thing 
I  have  ever  discovered  for  the  pigeon  raiser. 


Just  common  vaseline  is  a  marvel  for  canker. 
Take  some  on  the  end  of  the  finger,  a  good  lump 
of  it,  and  poke  it  down  the  squab's  throat.  It 
will  loosen  the  lumps  in  the  throat  and  you  can 
pull  them  out  easily  with  a  hairpin.  Put  some 
more  vaseline  in  the  throat  after  you  do  this. 
You  will  not  lose  two  squabs  in  a  hundred. 

Question:  How  shall  I  whitewash  a  loft  filled 
with  working  pigeons?  Answer:  Drive  your 
pigeons  out  into  the  flying  pen  on  a  sunny  day 
and  shut  the  windows,  then  paint  the  interior 
with  cold  water  white  paint,  which  will  dry 
before  night,  then  you  can  let  your  pigeons 
back  into  the  house. 


Begin  with  the  very  best  I 
can  buy;  then  breed  for  bett 


that  money 


APPENDIX  G 


371 


FRESH  SQUABS  DISPLAC- 
ING COLD  STORAGE,  by 
Harry  U.  Bell.  Despite  the 
fact  that  Washington  City  may 
be  classed  as  a  poor  squab  mar- 
ket, the  demand  for  fresh-killed 
squabs  is  far  in  excess  of  the 
supply. 

The  bulk  of  the  squabs  han- 
dled during  the  winter  season  is 
the  product  of  the  cold-storage 
plant.  These  are  bought  up 
during  the  summer,  wherever 
they  can  be  obtained,  the  source 
of  supply  being  from  persons 
with  smalllofts  of  birds,  or  they 
are  shipped  from  surrounding 
country  places.  The  supply  of 
cold-storage  squabs  has  to  be 
very  short  before  they  will  pay 
as  much  as  $3.50  or  $4  a  dozen. 

The  recent  investigation  of 
the  cold  storage  has  done  a  great 
deal  towards  helping  squab 
breeding  in  this  vicinity.  The 
squab-eating  public  is  now 
clamoring  for  a  better  class  of 
goods,  and  is  willing  to  take 
them  from  breeders,  knowing 
that  they  are  the  fresh-killed 
product.  Having  had  to  pay  a 
goodly  little  sum  for  cold-stor- 
age squabs  they  are  equally 
willing  to  pay  for  the  fresh 
product. 

No    one    starting    into    the 
squab  breeding  business  in  this 
vicinity  need  fear  for  his  mar- 
ket.    It  is  waiting  for  him.     If 
he  produces  good  squabs  and  lets  a  few  people 
know  it,  it  will  be  but  a  very  short  while  before 
he  will  have  as  much  trade  as  he  can  handle. 

GRAIN  WEIGHTS,  by  W.  H.  Cunningham. 

Below  are  given  the  weights  of  various  products 
in  their  raw  state,  the  figures  indicating  pounds 
per  bushel:  Wheat,  60;  corn  (shelled),  56;  corn 
(on  the  cob),  70;  rye,  56;  barley,  48;  buckwheat 
(in  Pennsylvania),  50;  buckwheat  (in  Ken- 
tucky), 52;  buckwheat  (in  Massachusetts),  48; 
oats  (in  Illinois  and  Massachusetts),  32;  oats 
(in  Ohio),  33;  oats  (in  Kentucky),  33  1-3;  oats 
(in  Maine  and  Pennsylvania),  30;  flaxseed,  56; 
hempseed,  48;  broomcorn  si^d,  52;  sorghum 
seed,  40. 

When  a  pigeon  gets  out  of  fix,  it  fasts  some- 
times three  or  four  days  and  later  comes  around 
O.  K.  Don't  worry  about  a  bird's  not  eating . 
It  knows  its  own  business  and  is  taking  its  only 
treatment,  fasting.  I  have  noticed  this  so 
much  among  the  birds,  especially  with  young- 
sters, I  am  earnestly  entreating  all  pigeon 
friends  to  let  the  pigeons  do  the  "  doctoring  " 
and  let  the  owners  of  the  birds  give  attention 
to  feed,  water  and  care  of  squabhouse,  and 
Nature,  the  great  doctor  of  all  animal  life,  wil 
take  care  of  the  pigeon's  ailments.— M.  C. 
Martin,  Kansas. 


HOMER  AXI)  PEN"  OF  COLORED  HOMERS. 


GROWTH  OF  AN  IDEA,  Ten  years  ago 
the  word  "  squab  "  was  practically  unknown. 
Today  it  is  on  the  lips  of  every  one  not  only  as 
an  article  of  food,  but  in  slang,  which  is  a  true 
test  of  popularity.  For  example,  at  the  great 
American  preparatory  schools,  the  freshmen 
are  now  dubbed  "  squabs,"  meaning  the  soft, 
tender,  inexperienced  youth,  of  both  sexes.  In 
the  West,  a  "  squab  "  is  a  tenderfoot.  In  the 
theatres,  a  "  squab  "  is  a  young  chorus  girl  of 
eighteen  years  or  under.  A  "broiler"  is  a 
chorus  girl  between  nineteen  and  twenty-one. 
"  Squab  parties  "  are  gatherings  of  children. 

Fried  spring  chicken,  roast  turkey,  duck,  or 
beef  are  all  good  eating,  but  not  as  good  as 
roast  squab  for  my  taste.  It  is  the  choice  of  all 
other  meat  for  me.  One  of  my  customers,  who 
is  a  hunter,  just  recently  told  me:  "  If  I  were 
served  with  young  roast  quail  one  meal  and 
squab  another  I  could  not  tell  which  was 
which."— W.  B.  Glotfelty,  Pennsylvania. 

I  am  very  much  impressed  with  the  squab 
business  here  in  St.  Louis,  and  think  there  is 
no  better  market  to  be  had.  I  get  $4  per 
dozen  for  nine  pounds  and  $4.50  for  ten  pounds. 
I  pay  no  attention  to  markets. — F.  L.  Mc- 
Donald. Missouri. 


372 


APPENDIX  G 


enough.  — 


TEN  PAIRS  OF  SQUABS  A  YEAR. 

What  do  you  think  of  these  Homers?  The  ones  with  the  crosses  on 
them  are  the  two  best  breeding  Homers  in  my  flock.  They  raise 
squabs  weighing  sixteen  ounces  apiece  at  the  rate  of  ten  pairs  a 
year.  They  are  [the  largest  birds  I  have.  I  get  twenty-five  cents 
apiece  for  all  my  squabs  alive  and  cannot  raise  one-third  e 
A,  F.  Ayers,  California. 


HOW  TO  GET  AIR  INTO  SQUAB 
HOUSES,  by  W.  P.  Jencks.  When  you  see 
frost  on  the  nails  of  your  roof  inside,  make 
up  your  mind  your  house  is  damp.  To  venti- 
late a  house  ten  by  twelve  feet  make  a  box 
about  five  or  six  feet  long  and  about  one  foot 
wide.  Have  doors  on  the  north  and  south  side 
on  hinges  that  swing  in  from  the  top.  Close 
the  one  on  the  side  where  the  wind  is  blowing 
and  open  the  other  one.  A  small  ventilator 
one  foot  square  open  all  around  will  let  in 
more  fresh  air  than  one  six  feet  long  that  is 
open  only  on  the  side  opposite  from  the  wind. 
A  ventilator  that  is  not  over  one  foot  square 
in  a  house  ten  by  twelve  with  seventy-five  or 
one  hundred  birds  in  it  is  not  much  use.  The 
average  squabhouse  ventilators  are  too  small. 
Make  them  larger.  Try  one  as  an  experiment 
and  find  out  as  I  did. 

I  have  sold  all  my  squabs  to  a  hotel  right  in 
the  town.  They  have  taken  all  I  could  raise 
and  wanted  more.  They  paid  twenty-five  cents 
each  and  took  them  alive.  I  did  not  have  to 
kill  them.  I  now  sell  my  squabs  by  the  ounce. 
I  get  two  cents  an  ounce  just  killed  and  three 
cents  an  ounce  dressed. — W.  P.  Jencks,  Rhode 
Island. 

We  are  starting  in  the  squab  business  on  a 
small  scale  but  with  the  idea  of  success  and  of 
a  large  plant.  Our  enthusiasm  is  strengthened 
by  the  remarkable  success'  of  a  friend  during 
the  past  two  years.  He  has  fully  demonstrated 
to  our  satisfaction  at  least  that  the  squab 
business  is  O.  K. — H.  C.  Voss,  Ohio. 


HOW  TO  IMPROVE  A 
FLOCK  BY  REMATING,  by 
George  F.  Lunn.  I  have  about 
three  hundred  pairs  of  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Homers  and  Car- 
neaux.  If  I  find  a  pair  that  do 
not  breed  well,  I  remate  them. 
I  find  that  it  is  better  to  try 
that  than  it  is  to  sell  them,  if 
they  are  good  birds.  If  I  find 
two  pairs  which  I  do  not  think 
are  doing  what  they  ought,  and 
mate  them  over,  then  they  do 
as  a  rule  very  much  better. 

I  take  them  out  of  the  pen 
and  use  a  mating  coop  for  one 
week,  then  I  put  them  in  a 
small  pen  which  I  have  built  for 
that  purpose,  and  I  keep  them 
there  until  they  lay  one  set  of 
eggs  and  have  hatched  them  out, 
then  I  give  the  squabs  to  another 
pair  and  put  them  back  into  the 
pen  from  which  I  took  them. 
I  have  not  had  any  trouble  of 
their  going  back  to  their  old 
mates  if  they  are  kept  apart 
for  one  or  two  months. 

I  am  getting  for  squabs  that 
dress  eight  pounds  to  the  dozen 
$4  a  dozen  at  this  date  (May  5, 
1911)  and   think   that  is  very 
good.     January,  February  and 
March,  I  recieve  five  and  six  dollars  for  them 
in  the  market.    They  sold  well  last  winter  and 
the  birds  have  been  doing  very  well. 

My  birds  averaged  six  and  one-half  pairs 
of  squabs  for  each  pair  of  breeders  for  the  year 
1909,  and  I  think  that  they  will  do  better  than 
that  this  year,  as  they  have  worked  at  a  more 
rapid  rate  so  far. 

RAT  TRAPS  IN  A  BOX,  by  James  Y. 
Egbert.  When  a  breeder  is  troubled  with  mice 
in  the  squabhouse,  he  can  get  rid  of  them  by 
using  one  or  more  traps  in  boxes.  I  take  a  box 
13  x  7  x  3  inches,  or  a  tobacco  caddy  may  be 
used.  With  a  one-inch  auger  bore  eight  holes, 
four  in  each  side.  Bait  your  traps  and  set 
them  inside,  then  put  a  cover  over  the  top  so 
the  pigeons  will  not  spring  the  traps.  Traps 
in  a  squabhouse  should  always  be  protected  as 
pigeons  or  squabs  may  be  injured  if  they  are 
not.  In  this  way  I  cleaned  out  all  the  mice 
around  my  pen. 

I  am  going  to  buy  more  Homers  soon,  and 
will  then  have  an  output  of  twenty  dozen 
squabs  a  month.  I  have  standing  orders  for 
private  trade  for  squabs.  I  get  seventy  cents 
a  pair  for  the  smallest  squabs,  or  $4  a  dozen. 
For  the  largest  squabs  I  get  $1  a  pair,  or  $5.50 
a  dozen. — R.  C.  Boyd,  Pennsylvania. 

I  have  a  printed  postal  card  to  keep  my  cus- 
tomers informed  and  jog  their  memory  as  to 
the  desirability  of  a  course  vf  squabs.  They 
have  the  habit  now  and  require  no  reminder. — 
Frank  R.  Tucker,  Rhode  Island. 


APPENDIX  G 


373 


HOW  A  HOTEL  MANA- 
GER PUSHES  SQUABS,  by 
John  Hill.  We  pay  seven  dol- 
lars a  dozen  for  the  kind  of 
squabs  we  serve.  Just  at  pres- 
ent we  have  enough,  but  I 
would  be  very  glad  to  know 
the  names  and  addresses  of 
some  breeders  of  fine  squabs. 
We  cook  them  in  any  way  our 
patrons  want  them,  but  put 
them  on  the  bill  of  fare  merely 
as  squabs.  I  rather  prefer  them 
roasted,  to  any  other  way  of 
cooking  them. 

I  ran  the  advertisements  of 
our  hotel  in  the  New  York 
Times  and  Brooklyn  Eagle  to 
stimulate  the  night-dinner  trade . 
The  night  following  my  pub- 
lished talk  about  squabs,  the 
sale  was  forty-two  orders.  Our 
average  number  of  orders  per 
night  for  squabs  had  been  six 
or  seven.  That  advertisement 
was  read  and  it  brought  the 
business. 

I  have  been  engaged  In  rais- 
ing pigeons  for  eight  years,  and 
as  I  am  employed  in  the  city, 
the  only  time  I  have  to  attend 
to  my  birds  is  in  the  morning 
and  afternoon,  after  returning 
home.  During  my  experience 
I  have  bred  various  pigeons, 
but  have  finally  settled  down 
to  Homers  for  first  choice  and 
Carneaux  for  second  choice. 
My  Homer  squabs  weigh  from 
twelve  to  fourteen  ounces  each, 
and  Carneaux  squabs  from  fif- 
teen to  seventeen  ounces  each, 
and  I  have  also  crossed  the 
Carneau  and  the  Homer,  and  squabs  from  this 
cross  weigh  from  fourteen  to  sixteen  ounces 
each.  I  recently  purchased  ten  acres  of  ground 
near  the  city  and  it  is  my  intention  to  convert 
this  entire  place  into  a  squab  plant  early  next 
spring. — T.  P.  Meyer,  Texas. 

I  am  getting  from  $2.75  to  $4.50  per  dozen 
for  live  squabs  from  the  commission  men  in 
Cincinnati.  I  have  not  started  to  sell  to  the 
hotels  yet.  My  best  squabs  weigh  over  ten 
pounds  to  the  dozen.  We  grow  wheat,  corn, 
sunflower,  kaffir  corn  on  our  farm.  We  save 
much  money  on  feed  bills.  Corn  and  wheat 
are  the  staple  articles  of  feed  and  every  other 
day  I  mix  corn,  wheat,  kaffir  corn,  sunflower 
seed,  Canada  peas,  hempseed.  Most  of  the 
time  I  feed  mixed  corn,  wheat  and  Canada  peas, 
the  rest  every  other  day.  I  think  the  first 
thing  a  beginner  should  learn  is  to  ventilate 
the  pigeon  house.  They  must  have  pure  air 
to  breathe.  Don't  ventilate  so  that  the  wind 
will  strike  on  birds.  I  store  grain  in  barrels 
covered  with  tin,  so  rats  can't  eat. — George  S. 
Beyer,  Indiana. 


\VH1TE  AND  COLORED  HOMERS. 


One  thing  I  have  learned  about  the  care  of 
pigeons:  first  and  most  important  is  plenty  of 
clean,  fresh  drinking  water,  one  fountain  in  the 
fly  and  one  in  the  loft  so  when  the  old  birds  feed 
the  squabs  they  can  get  water  without  flying 
outside  for  it.  Second,  that  all  grain  or  seed 
should  be  free  from  dust  of  any  kind,  and  musty 
grain  should  not  be  fed  under  any  circum- 
stances. I  think  most  of  the  pigeon  men  here 
feed  a  little  different  than  in  most  places.  My 
main  feed  is  wild  brown  mustard  seed.  I  have 
fed  it  with  good  results  for  three  years.  I  will 
give  my  way  of  feeding:  One  and  one-half 
quarts  wheat  in  morning.  From  three  to  four 
quarts  mustard  seed  at  noon.  One  and  one- 
half  to  two  quarts  Egyptian  corn  at  night,  with 
a  feed  of  peas  and  rice  once  a  week  each.  In 
each  loft  is  a  feeder  containing  grit,  charcoal 
and  sea-shells,  in  each  fly  a  piece  of  mineral 
salt.  One  reason  I  feed  more  mustard  seed  is 
that  it  is  a  cheaper  feed  than  anything  else. 
It  costs  here  $1.25  per  one  hundred  pounds; 
white  wheat  is  about  $1.60  and  Egyptian  corn 
$1.75  to  $2  per  hundred.— Riley  C.  Clark, 
California. 


374 


APPENDIX  G 


HOW  I  FEED  SO  AS  TO  LOSE  NO 
SQUABS,  by  Fred  C.  Schrein.  I  started  to 
raise  squabs  in  1904  with  six  pairs  of  Homers, 
the  Extras  froni  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab 
Company.  They  cost  me  fifteen  dollars,  and 
my  coops  five  dollars,  total  twenty  dollars. 
I  did  not  know  a  thing  about  pigeons,  and  so 
you  see  I  had  to  start  at  the  bottom  and  climb 
up,  and  now  I  am  on  the  top  rung  of  the  ladder. 

When  my  squabs  came,  where  was  my  mar- 
ket? I  had  to  -  look  for  one.  I  took  some 
down  to  the  leading  hotels  and  the  managers 
startled  me  by  remarking  that  they  were  not 
squabs.  I  asked  in  some  perplexity,  "  Why 
are  they  not  squabs?  "  "  Because  they  are  too 
large  for  squabs."  It  was  up  to  me  to  make 
good.  I  replied  that  for  every  one  of  the  birds 
that  was  not  a  squab  I  would  give  them  a 
dollar.  Then  they  said  they  had  no  calls 
for  squabs,  but  I  finally  persuaded  one  of  them 
to  try  mine,  telling  him  that  I  would  let  him 
have  them  for  'three  dollars  a  dozen.  It  did 
not  take  long  before  he  found  out  that  it  pays 
to  have  first-class  goods  to  do  business,  and 
so  it  was.  I  had  to  educate  the  people  first 
as  to  what  a  squab  was,  and  now  I  have  them 
pretty  well  educated,  and  I  cannot  raise  enough 
for  my  trade.  I  am  now  catering  mostly  to 
private  custom  and  get  .fifty  cents  apiece  for  all 
my  squabs.  It  makes  no  difference  who  it  is; 
every  one  is  treated  alike. 

I  have  at  present  about  one  thousand  birds, 
and  if  I  had  room  I  would  have  five  thousand 
more.  I  expect  in  the  near  future  to  go  out 
_n  the  suburbs  and  build  a  large  squab  plant. 

I  use  a  mixed  feed,  and  everything  but  corn. 
The  only  time  that  my  birds  get  corn  is  in  the 
winter  months,  then  in  the  afternoon  I  feed 
it  to  keep  them  warm  through  the  night.  Do 
not  feed  cracked  corn  at  any  time  unless  you 
can  crack  it  yourself,  and  know  it  is  fresh. 
Follow  these  instructions  and  I  bet  you  will 
not  have  any  more  squabs  die  with  canker 
unless  your  grain  should  happen  to  be  musty. 
I  know  what  I  am  talking  about,  as  I  have 
gone  through  the  mill. 

HOW  I  MADE  ROAST  SQUABS  POPU- 
LAR, by  Clara  M.  Hodson.  I  have  hatched 
eight  hundred  birds,  kept  one  hundred  pairs 
and  sold  the  others  at  a  fair  profit.  I  nave 
sold  the  squabs  from  twenty-five  cents  to 
fifty  cents  each  according  to  size.  They 
average  ten  pounds  to  the  dozen,  but  many 
of  them  weigh  one  pound  after  removing 
feathers. 

I  selected  the  birds  I  wished  to  keep,  built  a 
small  addition  to  my  first  house  and  mated 
them  up  as  I  wished  according  to  the  colors, 
blue,  white,  black,  brown  or  Carneau  red.  This 
is  easily  done  if  the  youngsters  are  confined 
together  in  a  mating  coop  for  a  couple  of  weeks, 
then  are  allowed  to  go  into  the  fly  where  the 
/oung  pairs  are  kept.  They  will  bill  and  coo, 
build  a  nest  and  go  to  work.  I  have  quite  a 
number  nesting  at  five  months. 

My  pigeon  cote  is  in  the  rear  of  a  lot  80  x  180 
feet  on  one  of  the  main  streets  of  this  Maryland 
town  of  eight  thousand  people.  It  is  the  only 


pigeon  plant  in  this  section ,  and  I  have  created 
an  interest  in  my  birds  and  a  taste  for  "  roast 
squab  with  peas  "  that  make  a  sale  here  for  all. 
I  cannot  always  supply  the  demand.  I  had 
pure  healthy  stock  to  begin,  studied  Mr.  Rice's 
valuable  book  and  the  magazine  and  without 
any  experience  have  had  exceptional  luck.  No 
disease  of  any  kind.  I  feed  them  a  special 
pigeon  feed  (which  stood  first  under  a  recent 
examination  by  the  Maryland  Agricultural 
College).  It  has  about  twelve  different  kinds 
of  seed  and  cracked  corn  in  it.  I  pay  $2  per 
100  pounds  for  it.  It  costs  me  two  cents  apiece 
per  week  for  my  old  birds  and  their  squabs. 
Sometimes  if  the  number  is  larger,  I  feed  a 
little  higher.  They  are  fond  of  hemp.  I 
watch  them  and  feed  them  what  they  like. 
They  are  very  little  trouble.  I  feed  and  water 
regularly  twice  a  day  in  troughs  and  fountains, 
and  have  the  house  cleaned  every  week,  some- 
times oftener,  as  nests  may  require.  This 
work  is  done  by  a  boy  twelve  years  old  who 
loves  the  birds. 

My  birds  are  the  admiration  of  all  who  pass 
and  see  them  sunning  themselves.  They  know 
me  and  many  of  them  know  their  names,  I 
think.  They  are  far  more  easily  reared  than 
chickens.  I  have  fifteen  White  Leghorns  and 
fifteen  Rhode  Island  Red  hens  in  a  lot  adjoin- 
ing my  pigeons,  but  they  are  not  so  profitable. 
I  find  great  pleasure  showing  my  guests  my 
birds,  and  all  are  enthused  with  them.  I 
recently  took  a  prize  serving  them  roasted 
whole,  stuffed  with  celery  and  served  with 
petit  pois  and  crab  apple  jelly.  Let  every 
woman  who  loves  pets  try  a  few  pigeons. 

Question:  In  what  cases  do  you  believe  in 
selling  squabs  to  middlemen,  and  in  what 
direct  to  private  trade?  Answer:  I  believe 
in  knowing  the  cost  of  production  and  selling 
to  somebody  at  a  profit.  The  average  pigeon 
or  poultry  raiser  doesn't  know  either  costs  or 
selling  prices.  The  product  of  a  large  squab 
plant  in  the  hands  of  an  average  business  man 
is  best  sold  to  middlemen  because  the  cost  of 
finding  retail  customers  for  a  large  output  is 
something  requiring  bother,  skill,  time,  money 
and  equipment,  all  of  which  the  middlemen 
have,  as  well  as  the  educated  habits  of  people 
who  are  trading  with  them.  The  product  of 
a  small  squab  plant  is  best  sold  at  retail  because 
it  costs  nothing  to  find  the  customer  if  you 
follow  directions.  Producers  are  much  more 
common  than  salesmen,  in  all  lines.  The 
salesmen  have  the  equipment,  the  know-how. 
The  producers  should  try  to  get  it.  It  must 
be  remembered  that  it  takes  training  to  lead 
a  business  life,  although  few  seem  to  ap- 
preciate it.  The  man  or  woman  who  raises 
beautiful  squabs  but  doesn't  know  how  to  sell 
them  is  very  much  of  the  habit  of  mind  of  the 
professional  man,  a  physician,  for  example, 
who  can  write  a  book  on  how  to  cure  a  cold 
but  can't  cure  one.  Many  of  the  misunder- 
standings in  the  pigeon  business  have  arisen 
from  the  inability  of  the  writers,  who  never 
do,  to  comprehend  what  the  doers  were  doing. 


APPENDIX  G 


375 


HOW  ONE  WOMAN  WORKS  AND  WINS, 
by  Nellie  C.  Wellman.  The  business  of  squab 
raising  had  always  appealed  to  me  as  most 
fascinating,  but  living  in  a  city  I  could  not 
very  well  engage  in  such  an  occupation. 

But  a  few  years  ago,  a  very  pleasant  home- 
stead in  the  country,  my  husband's  boyhood 
home,  came  into  our  possession. 

In  the  spring  as  soon  as  the  weather  per- 
mitted, our  squabhouse  of  two  units  was 
started,  and  May  4,  1909,  we  installed  thirty- 
one  pairs  of  birds  in  unit  No.  1.  We  were 
fortunate  in  securing  fine  Homers.  I  began 
to  save  the  young  birds  for  future  breeders 
and  by  the  last  of  August  had  about  one 
hundred  youngsters  in  unit  No.  2. 

We  sold  no  squabs  until  the  first  of  Septem- 
ber of  that  year,  and  have  been  most  succes- 
ful  in  raising  fine  birds,  and  also  in  disposing 
of  them  to  the  very  best  markets  and  private 
customers. 

I  live  about  twenty-five  miles  from  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  which  was  my  birthplace  and 
also  home  for  many  years,  and  having  an 
extensive  circle  of  acquaintances,  I  found  no 
difficulty  in  selling  my  squabs. 

Then,  too,  being  personally  acquainted  with 
the  proprietors  of  the  best  markets,  I  found 
them  very  ready  and  willing  to  buy  good  birds. 

Another  means  of  our  getting  customers 
was  through  a  private  chef,  who  goes  to  the 
houses  of  the  wealthy  class  to  cook  for  private 
dinners.  This  chef  (a  woman)  has  done  much 
to  recommend  our  squabs,  telling  people  they 
are  the  best  that  come  under  her  notice. 

Two  of  the  markets  take  the  birds  with 
feathers.  Another  market  wishes  the  feathers 
off,  but  birds  are  not  drawn. 

For  our  private  trade,  we  dress  the  squabs 
completely,  wrapping  each  one  in  wax  paper 
and  packing  nicely  in  pasteboard  boxes. 

As  the  birds  are  all  sold  in  New  Haven,  this 
way  of  packing  seems  all  that  is  necessary  and 
we  have  never  been  obliged  to  use  ice. 

In  the  spring  of  1910  three  more  units  were 
added  to  the  house,  which  now  consists  of 
five  units  besides  a  grain  and  killing  room 
at  one  end. 

I  believe  in  absolute  cleanliness,  pure,  fresh 
water,  and  plenty  of  it,  good  health  grit,  char- 
coal, salt  and  oyster  shells.  My  birds  have 
all  of  these,  and  I  have  never  had  a  case  of 
canker  in  my  loft. 

I  hire  a  man  for  cleaning  and  other  heavy 
work,  but  attend  personally  to  the  birds,  being 
familiar  with  each  individually. 

Several  of  my  breeders  have  raised  nine  and 
one-half  pairs  of  squabs,  and  few  less  than 
eight  pairs  during  the  year. 

If  possible  I  am  more  enthusiastic  as  regards 
squab  breeding  than  ever.  The  pleasure  I 
derive  from  being  with  the  birds  more  than 
repays  me  for  the  labor  connected  with  their 
care. 

As  a  rule,  those  who  offer  any  class  of  pig- 
eons for  half  price,  either  have  failed  to  figure 
out  what  it  cost  to  raise  and  mate,  or  they  are 
selling  a  poor  class  of  birds. 


HOW  A  POSTAL  CARD  FOUND  MY 
BUYERS,  by  Frank  English.  I  purchased 
some  Homers  and  Carneaux  of  the  Plymouth 
Rock  Squab  Company.  I  started  in  to  raise 
my  own  breeding  stock,  and  my  birds  proved 
to  be  excellent  workers.  I  began  to  advertise, 
in  the  local  press  and  by  the  following  post 
card: 

SQUABS 

Rich,  juicy,  fat  squabs  are  not  only  a  dainty 
food,  but  also  very  nutritious  and  far  superior 
to  chickens.  They  are  especially  valuable  to 
the  sick  and  convalescent  who  cannot  assimilate, 
coarse  meats.  If  you  have  never  enjoyed 
the  pleasure  of  eating  squabs,  try  them.  We 
have  them  on  sale  either  killed  and  dressed, 
or  alive  as  desired  by  some.  We  have  nothing; 
but  the  very  best,  and  raise  all  we  offer.  No 
cold  storage  nor  common  pigeons.  We  sell 
by  the  single  pair  and  upwards  in  half  dozens, 
or  any  number  required. 

FRANK  ENGLISH,  Squab  and  Pigeon 
Farm. 

Within  forty-eight  hours  my  telephone  kept 
me  busy  with  people  inquiring  about  squabs. 
I  need  not  say  that  in  a  small  Northern  Con- 
necticut section  many  of  the  inquiries  were 
both  original  and  provincial.  Some  wanted  to 
know  if  I  raised  squabs  for  Gloucester  fisher- 
men. Some  wanted  to  know  if  it  was  right  to 
skin  them.  Others  desired  information  con- 
cerning the  nature  and  purposes  of  squabs, 
while  a  few  wanted  to  learn  how  to  hunt  and 
trap  them.  Of  course,  among  the  Berkshire 
and  Litchfield  Hills  this  simplicity  was  pardon- 
able, but  out  of  one  hundred  postal  cards  sent 
out  and  a  small  advertisement  in  a  local  paper, 
I  received  orders  for  more  squabs  than  I  could 
furnish  and  the  prices  ranged  from  four  to 
six  dollars  per  dozen,  according  to  size. 

To  say  that  I  was  agreeably  surprised  goes 
without  saying.  I  feel  that  many  of  the  squab 
breeders  unfavorably  situated  for  expressing 
squabs  long  distances  at  great  expense  may 
take  heart  by  my  experience  and  cultivate  a 
local  trade  to  their  advantage  and  profit. 

Later  (April  25) 

Here's  a  how-de-do!  My  post  cards  and 
the  advertisement  one  of  our  local  hotels  has 
given  me  have  created  a  furor.  I  cannot 
supply  squabs  enough  and  have  had  to  refuse 
orders.  I  did  not  dream  when  I  sent  out  the 
post  cards  that  I  would  have  such  a  deluge  of 
orders.  The  hotel  man  informs  me  that  he 
never  had  such  fine  squabs  before. 

There  are  squab  breeders  as  far  West  as 
Missouri,  Kansas,  Nebraska  and  the  Dakota? 
who  are  shipping  steadily  to  the  Eastern  city 
markets.  Your  success  with  squabs  does  not 
depend  upon  the  markets,  but  it  does  depend 
upon  your  intelligence  in  dealing  with  the 
markets. 

The  pigeon  business  is  like  any  other  busi- 
ness; that  is,  you  must  talk  pigeons  if  you  sell 


376 


APPENDIX  G 


FOUR  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS. 


HOW  I  EXPERIMENTED  WITH  COW 
PEAS,  by  William  P.  Gray.  Although  I  have 
always  found  that  it  paid  me  well  to  feed 
Canada  peas  liberally,  their  price  was  so  high 
through  the  summer  and  fall  that  in  October 
I  decided  to  try  cow  peas  as  a  substitute,  and 
accordingly  mixed  four  bushels  of  cow  peas 
with  about  eight  hundred  pounds  of  other 
grains.  Shortly  after  beginning  to  use  this 
mixture,  I  noticed  that  about  all  my  squabs 
were  affected  with  a  looseness  of  the  bowels 
that  made  my  nests  the  filthiest  that  I  had 
ever  seen  them.  Several  squabs  died  and 
those  that  I  have  marketed  the  past  two  months 
have  been  about  the  poorest  I  have  ever  had 
to  dispose  of. 

Ten  days  ago  I  made  up  another  grain 
mixture,  this  time  using  instead  of  the  cow 
peas  four  bushels  of  Canada  peas  and  other 
grains,  the  same  amount  as  before  except  for 
an  extra  one  hundred  pounds  of  cracked  corn. 
Here  is  the  result  in  ten  days  after  substituting 
the  Canada  peas  for  the  cow  peas:  The  loose- 
ness of  the  bowels  in  the  squabs  has  disap- 
peared. My  scales  have  shown  that  the 
squabs  taken  out  of  the  loft  today  were  the 
heaviest  that  I  have  produced  this  fall.  The 
old  birds  act  as  though  they  had  taken  on  a 
new  lease  of  life.  Out  of  sixty-four  pairs, 
sixty-one  pairs  are  working,  and  seventy-four 
eggs  have  been  laid  the  past  week. 

To  any  wishing  to  know  what  my  birds 
are  being  fed  now,  I  wish  to  state  that  my 
grain  mixture  for  cold  weather  is  as  follows: 
four  bushels  peas,  five  hundred  pounds  cracked 
corn,  four  bushels  wheat,  one  hundred  pounds 
kaffir  corn,  fifty  pounds  millet,  twenty-five 
pounds  hempseed. 


I  never  place  a  pair  of  pigeons 
in  a  pen  unless  they  are  banded. 
I  also  limit  the  number  of  birds 
placed  in  a  pen  to  conform  to 
the  size  of  the  pen,  and  under 
no  conditions  whatever  do  I 
allow  another  bird  to  be  added 
to  this  pen.  In  my  case  the 
number  is  twenty-five  pairs,  as 
I  have  built  my  pens  with  this 
idea  in  view,  for  I  believe  this 
number  is  the  most  practical 
for  all  purposes,  and  I  am  con- 
vinced that  a  greater  number 
than  this  will  fail  to  produce 
the  results  shown  by  this  num- 
ber of  birds.  I  then  make  out 
a  chart  with  the  numbers  one 
to  twenty-five  in  a  row,  and 
allow  twelve  spaces  for  the 
twelve  months  of  the  year. 
Then  I  make  a  note  in  the 
space  opposite  the  pair  number 
in  the  corresponding  month 
when  robbing  the  pair  of  its 
young,  showing  just  how  many 
were  taken.  By  referring  to 
this  record  I  am  able  to  know 
exactly  what  this  pair  has  ac- 
complished in  a  certain  period, 
and  if  it  does  not  show  a  stand- 
ard result  I  make  arrangements  to  dispose  of 
one  or  both  birds  at  once,  and  in  this  way  I 
save  the  feed  the  pair  would  consume  and  also 
avoid  any  possibility  of  either  bird  causing 
any  trouble  in  idleness.  This  takes  practically 
no  time  and  is  a  big  money  saver. — F.  L.  Stock, 
Missouri. 

A  year  ago  I  moved  my  drug  store  about  a 
mile  from  its  former  location,  and  about  that 
time  I  had  about  one  hundred  old  and  young 
pigeons  to  move  with  squabs  and  eggs.  I 
caught  all  the  pigeons,  old  and  young,  put 
them  in  boxes  with  a  sack  over  the  tops,  and 
lost  only  one  young  pigeon  from  suffocation.  I 
lost  all  the  eggs,  and  strange  to  say  did  not 
lose  one  squab,  which  were  of  all  ages  from  one 
or  two  days  to  a  couple  of  weeks  old.  I  just 
put  them  in  the  squabhouse,  and  the  old 
pigeons  went  on  feeding  them  as  before.  By 
using  a  little  common  sense,  pigeons  are  the 
easiest  thing  in  the  world  to  raise,  and  beat 
poultry  all  over. — C.  Montz,  Louisiana. 

In  June,  1910,  I  purchased  a  dozen  pairs  of 
Plymouth  Rock  Extra  Homers,  and  now 
(October,  1911)  have  eighty  pairs  of  breeders 
and  140  youngsters.  I  have  just  started  to  sell 
my  squabs  and  find  a  ready  market.  Can  get 
$4.25  per  dozen  for  eight  to  nine-pound  squabs. 
I  am  on  a  rented  place,  but  expect  to  move  in 
the  spring  and  build  more  lofts  and  increase 
my  breeders.  I  can  dispose  of  ten  to  fifteen 
dozen  more  squabs  a  week  than  I  can  supply. 
There  are  a  great  many  breeders  here  who  have 
what  are  called  American  Homers  which 
breed  a  squab  only  a  little  larger  than  the  com- 
mon pigeon. — H.  W.  Moore,  Ohio. 


APPENDIX  G 


377 


DRY  GRAIN  HEALTHFUL,  by  Hugh 
Donlon.  Having  had  trouble  and  sickness  in 
my  birds,  especially  in  the  "big  fellows,"  I 
was  at  a  loss  for  some  time  to  know  where  the 
trouble  came  from.  I  had  grain  from  different 
sources  to  see  if  that  would  help,  but  no  better 
luck.  Lately  I  have  taken  each  day's  feed  and 
left  it  on  the  back  of  the  stove  all  night,  or  put 
it  in  a  warm  oven  for  a  short  time,  and  I  find 
a  wonderful  difference.  The  birds  picked  up 
at  once  and  seem  to  relish  the  crisp  grain. 
There  is  very  little  grain,  after  it  has  stood  in 
damp  storehouses  for  a  year  or  more,  that  will 
not  draw  dampness. 

I  have  been  feeding  dry  bread  for  some  time, 
and  see  it  spoken  of  but  how  to  feed  it  is  the 
puzzle  that  will  bother  a  great  many,  as  it 
should  not  be  wet.  Run  the  bread  through  a 
coarse  food  chopper  and  it  will  come  out  in 
the  form  of  pills  that  will  be  devoured  greedily. 
It  makes  great  stuffing  for  squabs.  Of  course 
it  must  be  used  in  connection  with  grain  rations. 

HOW  I  MADE  A  RAT-PROOF  GRAIN 
BIN,  by  J.  E.  Maccabe.  My  feed  room  is 
down  stairs,  and  the  lofts  are  up  stairs.  The 
rats  used  to  eat  about  half  of  the  feed.  I  went 
to  a  tin  shop  and  ordered  a  box  of  galvanized 
iron,  twenty-four  inches  wide,  thirty-six 
inches  long,  eighteen  inches  high,  eight  com- 
partments, four  of  the  compartments  six 
inches  wide,  and  the  full  width  of  the  box,  the 
other  four  compartments  six  inches  wide,  but 
only  half  the  width  of  the  box,  or  twelve  inches. 
Each  compartment  the  full  width  of  the  box  • 
will  hold  a  bushel,  so  the  whole  box  carries  six 
bushels  of  grain.  Inside  of  two  months  the 
box  had  paid  for  its  cost,  five  dollars. 

Between  the  rat-proof  feed  box  and  the  lime 
in  the  lofts  I  have  no  more  rats  or  mice. 

What  Lime  Did 

I  couldn't  go  into  the  loft  but  what  there 
was  a  rat  or  mouse,  although  I  didn't  keep  the 
feed  in  the  loft.  The  floor  was  of  boards. 
The  rats  would  go  up  the  side  of  the  building, 
then  they  would  make  their  way  into  the  loft. 
This  spring,  to  make  some  whitewash,  I  bought 
too  much  lime,  so  I  put  some  of  it  around  the 
wall  on  the  floor  of  the  lofts.  It  extended 
out  from  the  wall  for  six  inches,  an  inch  in 
thickness.  From  that  day  I  have  never  been 
bothered  with  rats. 

I  was  in  Seattle  last  week  looking  for  a  mar- 
ket. I  went  to  all  the  high-class  cafes  and  res- 
taurants. Here  are  a  few:  The  Butler,  Mancas, 
the  Rathskeller,  Olympus  and  Gerald's.  All 
offered  three  dollars  a  dozen  (feathers  on)  de- 
livered. In  one  I  had  rather  an  amusing  ex- 
perience. I  went  to  the  chef  and  asked  if  he 
bought  squabs.  He  said,  "  Yes."  I  asked  how 
much  he  paid.  "  Ten  cents  apiece,"  he  an- 
swered. I  turned  and  started  out.  "  Hey, 
vait,"  he  called.  "  Gif  you  fifteen  cents." 
"  Nothing  doing."  "  Gif  you  twenty  cents." 
"  Come  again."  Well,  he  "  came  "  to  twenty- 
five  cents  each  delivered  in  Seattle. — Wallace 
Todd,  Washington. 


SQUABS  AT  GOOD  PRICES  IN  CALI- 
FORNIA, by  Walter  E.  Hiller.  I  have  moved 
to  California  from  Massachusetts,  where  I  bred 
squabs,  and  am  all  ready  to  have  my  Extra 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  shipped  on  here. 
They  have  fine  pigeons  around  here.  Squabs 
weigh  twelve  pounds  to  the  dozen.  They  get 
$3.50  to  $4  a  dozen  alive,  and  don't  even  have 
to  twist  their  necks.  Grain  costs  about  the 
same  as  in  the  East :  peas  $4  per  one  hundred 
pounds,  hempseed  $6  per  one  hundred  pounds. 
This  is  a  fine  climate  to  raise  squabs.  I  have 
bought  a  nice  home,  one  acre  of  land,  all  kinds 
of  fruit,  large  stable,  hot  and  cold  water, 
electric  light,  bath  room  and  a  line  of  cars, 
eight  miles  to  the  city.  I  have  built  two  coops, 
fifty  feet  long,  and  am  building  more.  Things 
are  all  different  here.  The  house  is  fifty  feet 
long,  four  feet  wide,  ten  feet  fly,  seven  feet 
high;  cement  floor;  everything  all  open,  no 
windows,  very  easy  to  clean  out.  One  coop 
holds  fifty  pairs. 

FOUR  PAIRS  HOMERS  STARTED  ME 
IN  1903,  by  E.  W.  Lewis.  I  purchased  six 
pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  in  1903.  I 
did  not  purchase  a  bird  in  the  seven  years, 
but  selected  the  best  from  these  four  pairs 
and  their  increase  for  breeders.  The  inbreed- 
ing did  not  seem  to  hurt  them  in  the  least,  as 
the  seventy-five  pairs  I  have  now  are  never 
sick,  and  the  squabs  at  four  weeks  weigh 
eleven  to  fourteen  ounces.  I  put  my  squabs 
in  a  separate  coop  for  twenty-four  hours 
before  killing,  and  then  their  crops  are  entirely 
empty.  Then  kill  and  dry  pick.  In  that 
condition  they  weigh  eleven  to  fourteen  ounces 
each.  I  am  getting  $3.75  a  dozen  the  year 
round.  A  few  days  ago  I  had  a  large  squab 
which  dressed  sixteen  ounces.  The  chef  at 
the  hotel  I  sell  to  looked  me  up  next  day  and 
said,  "  If  you  can  furnish  me  squabs  like  that, 
I  will  give  you  $4.25  per  dozen  the  year  round.1' 
That  decided  me  to  get  Carneaux,  which  I 
am  doing,  and  I  hope  they  prove  all  that  has 
been  written  of  them.  I  have  not  been  in  a 
position  to  expand  as  fast  as  would  like.  Of 
the  seventy-five  pairs  of  breeders  I  have  now, 
here  is  the  record  for  last  year:  January  1  to 
December  31,  1910,  748  squabs  for  which  I 
received  $224.90.  Feed  for  the  year  was 
$106.75,  leaving  a  profit  of  $118.15,  and  the 
work  attending  them  was  a  recreation  and 
pleasure.  I  feed  whole  corn,  macaroni,  wheat 
and  kaffir  corn  as  main  feed,  and  hemp,  peas 
and  millet  as  luxuries.  (Mr.  Lewis,  the 
writer  of  the  foregoing,  lives  in  Colorado.  It 
i  s  often  asked  by  residents  of  that  state  whether 
pigeons  will  breed  well  there,  on  account  of 
the  high  altitude.  His  story  is  proof  that  they 
do.  We  are  acquainted  with  a  number  of 
squab  breeders  in  Colorado  who  never  have 
complained  that  the  altitude  had  any  effect, 
and  we  do  not  believe  that  it  has,  either  one 
way  or  the  other.  Pigeons  seem  to  breed 
there  as  well  as  anywhere.) 

The  demand  for  first-class  pigeons  is  greater 
than  the  supply. 


378 


APPENDIX  G 


NOVEL  FLYIXG  PKX. 
Squabs  in  the  loft  of  a  wagon  house. 

Any  fancier  can  find  enough  desirable  char- 
acteristics in  the  Homer  and  Carneaux  utility 
pigeons  to  fully  satisfy  his  fancy  and  at  the 
same  time  be  breeding  something  that  is  of  some 
use  to  the  world.  I  get  just  as  much  pleasure 
in  breeding  something  that's  useful,  as  any 
fancier  does  in  breeding  useless  fancy  varieties. 
If  a  person  wants  to  breed  pigeons  for  pleasure 
or  fancy,  utility  pigeons  are  more  desirable, 
in  that  by  selling  or  eating  the  squabs  that  are 
not  your  ideal,  you  can  pay  the  feed  bill.  If 
you  have  a  squab  which  is  off  color  or  has  some- 
thing about  it  you  do  not  like,  you  get  just 
as  much  for  it  as  squab,  as  if  it  were  just  what 
you  desired  and  you  sent  it  to  market.  I 
believe  in  fancy  utility  pigeons,  and  as  long 
as  I  breed  pigeons  I  will  consider  the  fancy 

r'nts,    even    in    squab    breeding    pigeons. — 
W.  Williams,  Texas. 

The  most  essential  point  in  buying  utility 
pigeons  is  to  get  the  kind  or  class  that  will 
breed  the  most  and  the  best  squabs.  However, 
the  kind  that's  in  demand  must  be  considered. 
The  kinds  most  in  demand  in  the  South  are  the 
Homer  and  Carneaux  squabs.  The  reason  for 
this  is  that  there  are  a  great  many  more 
Homers  and  Carneaux  than  all  other  varieties 
combined.  In  fact,  all  dealers  know  what 
Homer  and  Carneaux  squabs  are. — J.  W. 
Williams,  Texas. 


For  several  years  I  had  been 
trying  to  get  a  flock  of  well-bred 
chickens.  I  had  paid  good 
prices  ;for  eggs  and  hatched  a 
mongrel  lot  of  chicks.  So  few 
were  at  all  what  would  be  called 
good  lookers  that  I  became  thor- 
oughly disgusted  with  the  whole 
business.  Too  many  casualties 
and  fatalities  of  the  chicks,  to  be 
profitable.  Too  much  bother  to 
run  out  in  the  storm  and  pick 
up  the  half -drowned  chicks. 
Too  many  mites  to  keep  off  the 
roosts.  Too  much  of  a  job  for 
the  financial  returns.  So  I  de- 
cided to  look  to  squab  raising. 
Some  of  my  friends  have  gotten 
past  the  point  where  they  smile 
as  they  ask  me  hew  the  pigeons 
are  getting  along.  They  for- 
merly acted  as  if  they  thought 
that  pigeons  were  good  enough 
for  a  boy  to  have,  but  for  a  big 
strong  man  with  a  good  pro- 
fession to  bother  with  pigeons 
was  too  much  like  child's  play. 
The  person  that  is  looking  for 
a  pleasant  and  profitable  busi- 
ness would  do  well  to  take  up 
squabs.— C.  F.  Wilson,  Illinois. 


I  will  tell  you  of  a  little  ex- 
periment I  had  with  a  pair  of 
pigeons.  I  did  not  like  the  looks 
of  the  place  where  they  had 
their  nest  so  one  noon  1 
changed  it  into  another  nestbox. 
During  the  afternoon  while  I  was  away  at 
work  a  white  cock  chased  the  cock  off  the  nest 
In  the  evening  when  I  came  home  I  found  the 
eggs  very  cold,  and  I  put  them  back  where 
they  were  in  the  first  place,  caught  the  hen, 
put  her  on  the  nest,  and  she  stayed.  I  didn't 
expect  them  to  hatch  after  being  chilled,  but 
to  my  surprise  they  did,  but  the  young  ones 
were  two  days  behind  time  in  getting  out. 
They  are  getting  along  nicely. — Edward  Knapp, 
Indiana. 

Some  one  gave  me  an  old  copy  of  Rice 
Manual  five  or  six  years  old.     I  began  to  stud 
that  and   soon   decided   to   send   for  the  las 
issue.     It  came  in  due  time  and  along  with 
a  sample  copy  of  the  National  Squab  Magazine 
After    considerable    deliberation    and    delay 
sent   in    my   .one    dollar    subscription   for   th 
paper  and  from  that  time  on  I  began  to  se 
what  squab  raising  meant.     For  the  first  few 
months  the    magazine  was  worth^  more  than 
the   subscription   price   each   month.     I   could 
not  do  without  it  now. — R.  C.  Clark,  California. 

About  a  year  ago  I  bought  of  you  thirteen 
pairs  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  I  now 
have  about  two  hundred  pigeons,  and  they  are 
beauties.  I  have  killed  but  few,  as  I  wish  to  get 
a  large  stock  on  hand  and  then  offer  squabs  only 
for  sale.— William  C.  Davis,  Georgia. 


APPENDIX  G 


379 


MINE  EAT  LOCUST  LEAVES,  PEPPER- 
GRASS,  by  George  Jackson.  I  bought 
thirteen  pairs  of  the  best  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers  in  May,  1909,  and  now,  eleven  months 
later,  I  have  two  hundred  birds.  Every  one 
that  comes  along  admires  them.  I  have  a 
friend  who  gives  me  boxes,  which  I  break  up 
and  make  use  of  in  building.  So  in  this  way  I 
do  not  have  to  buy  much  lumber. 

We  have  an  offer  here  (Kentucky)  for  squabs 
weighing  eight  ounces  at  $3  per  dozen,  and  as 
ours  weigh  from  twelve  to  sixteen  ounces  I 
think  I  could  get  at  least  $5  for  my  squabs. 

I  feed  seven  different  kinds  of  grain,  but  my 
young  birds  do  not  like  the  Canada  peas.  I 
feed  rice  and  locust  leaves  sometimes,  and  as 
soon  as  peppergrass  grows  I  will  give  them  that. 

RICH  SQUAB  OPENINGS  IN  CALI- 
FORNIA, by  M.  W.  Donaldson.  Nowhere 
outside  the  city  of  New  York  is  the  demand  for 
squabs  so  strong  as  in  the  cities  of  Oakland 
and  San  Francisco,  California,  with  their 
combined  population  of  approximately  700,000 
(census  just  completed).  While  Oakland  boasts 
of  her  hotels,  grills,  clubs  and  sanitariums, 
where  squabs  find  a  ready  market,  San  Fran- 
cisco's three  leading  hotels  alone  could  con- 
sume all  the  squabs  produced  in  California 
today,  and  then  run  short  on  orders  for  this 
delicious  luxury.  One  dollar  per  pound  can 
be  obtained  for  the  right  kind  of  squabs  in  the 
Oakland  or  San  Francisco  markets  when  offered 
to  the  right  kind  of  trade.  As  the  game  laws 
of  our  state  are  becoming  more  stringent  each 
year,  and  prices  correspondingly  higher  for 
the  inadequate  supply  of  wild  game  brought 
in,  also  likewise  for  young  poultry,  the  only 
substitute  for  the  squab,  there  must  soon  be 
found  by  the  caterer  a  means  of  taking  care 
of  his  menu  along  the  lines  of  wild  game,  and 
the  only  logical  solution  appears  solely  in 
the  squab.  There  certainly  is  a  field  here  for 
many  who  might  care  to  invest  in  this  lucrative 
industry.  San  Francisco  is  a  most  cosmopoli- 
tan city  and  right  up  to  date.  Californians 
are  not  afraid  to  spend  their  money.  They 
want  the  best  money  will  buy  and  they  get 
it,  regardless  of  what  it  may  cost.  If  they 
should  call  for  squab  on  toast,  they  would 
not  hesitate  at  $2.50  to  ask  for  it.  It's  the 
same  in  all  other  lines  of  trade  in  California. 
The  people  here  demand  the  best  and  they 
certainly  have  it.  Squabs  will  soon  be  in- 
cluded, and  the  best  that  can  be  produced, 
both  in  size  as  well  as  in  flavor.  The  man 
that  gets  in  first  on  this  market  with  a  modern 
squab  plant  will  have  the  easiest  and  the 
surest  sailing,  but  nevertheless,  sure.  Such 
are  the  possibilities  for  the  producer  of  squabs 
(for  the  rich  man's  stomach)  near  the  Oakland 
and  San  Francisco  markets  of  California. 

About  October  of  last  year  I  bought  from, 
your  firm  nine  pairs  No.  1  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers.  At  the  present  time  (June  12), 
I  have  about  eighty-five  birds  all  in  first-class 
shape,  besides  about  twenty  killed  for  the 
table. — A.  E.  Buchanan,  British  Columbia. 


NEW  ORLEANS  WAITING  FOR  GOOD 
SQUABS,  by  K.  J.  Braud.  I  am  raising 
squabs  for  pleasure  and  for  my  own  table  use. 
I  received  my  birds  exactly  nine  months  ago, 
twelve  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Extra. Homers, 
for  which  I  paid  $30.  I  have  raised  in  that 
time  twenty-four  pairs  of  breeders,  some  of 
them  larger  than  the  parents,  and  have  used 
for  our  table  seven  dozen  squabs,  and  now  have 
ten  pairs  of  young  ones  in  the  nests,  making  a 
total  of  146  birds.  This  is  not  remarkable,  but 
in  view  of  the  fact  that  I  had  never  had  any 
experience  in  the  business  I  consider  it  highly 
satisfactory,  at  least  to  me.  I  have  never  lost 
a  single  large  bird,  having  all  the  original  birds, 
and  a  finer  lot  I  think  it  impossible  to  find.  I 
have  six  pairs  of  my  young  ones  working,  three 
of  which  have  hatched  young  squabs,  and  the 
other  three  are  setting. 

Taking  things  generally,  I  am  highly  pleased 
so  far.  I  derive  a  great  deal  of  pleasure,  and 
besides  quite  a  delicacy  for  our  table.  I  have 
no  doubt  in  my  mind  that  squab-raising  can 
be  made  profitable  here  in  Louisiana  as  well 
as  anywhere  else.  I  feed  my  birds  along  the 
lines  set  in  the  National  Standard  Squab  Book, 
and  I  feel  that  any  one  following  those  direc- 
tions can  hardly  fail  if  they  give  them  the 
proper  attention. 

It  appears  to  me  that  a  good  market  could 
be  created  in  New  Orleans  for  squabs  if  the 
proper  energy  and  push  were  behind  the 
business. 


MUST  SAY  I  PREFER  SQUABS  TO 
CHICKENS,  by  Albert  F.  Neblung.  I  will 
tell  you  why  I  am  going  to  raise  squabs  and 
not  chickens.  I  have  been  raising  both  for 
some  time  and  have  wanted  to  sell  my  chickens, 
and  have  found  a  buyer  at  last,  and  have  sold 
out  all  I  had,  also  sold  all  my  pigeons,  because 
they  were  not  what  I  wanted.  Now  to  get 
a  start  with  the  best  there  is  in  the  line  of 
squab  breeders.  I  could  clean  my  squab 
coop  in  two  hours,  then  they  would  be  all 
right  for  one  week  without  need  of  cleaning, 
but  the  chickens  needed  about  two  hours' ' 
work  each  morning  to  keep  away  lice,  then  it 
was  never  right.  The  chickens  were  always 
wild  and  would  fly  as  if  I  were  going  to  kill 
them  all,  but  the  pigeons  would  mind  their 
business,  be  tame,  sit  on  my  hand,  and  eat  out 
of  it.  I'd  like  to  see  a  chicken  do  that.  Then 
I  set  an  incubator  with  108  eggs  and  hatched 
fifty-four  chickens.  The  first  week  I  lost 
fifteen,  the  second  week,  fourteen,  the  next 
two  weeks  eleven.  Out  of  the  fifty-four  I 
had  fourteen  left.  That  is  the  way  chickens 
do  with  you.  But  when  pigeons  lay,  you- 
will  have  two  squabs.  You  don't  have  to 
feed  them  or  watch  the  heat  in  the  incubator 
or  brooder.  Well,  to  cut  a  long  story  short, 
chickens  eat  about  twice  as  much  as  pigeons. 
About  the  same  with  work,  if  not  more.  Me 
for  pigeons!  I  will  have  some  good  Carneaux 
or  Homers.  I  have  room  for  about  one 
hundred  pairs,  but  will  not  start  with  that 
number. 


APPENDIX  G 


PLYMOUTH  ROCK  CARNEAUX  IN  NEBRASKA. 


I   used  oat   straw   for  nest   material, 
birds  leave  all  other  kinds  for  it.     It's 


The 
soft, 


pliable,  holds  shape,  is  superior  to  anything 
for  both  hens'  nests  and  birds'  nests,  of  any- 
thing procurable.  They  build  of  it  large  nests 
which  protect  the  eggs  from  cold.  Having  the 
nest  shelves  on  cleats  of  iron  keeps  lice  or  mites 
away.  With  a  keg  of  good,  strong  whitewash 
with  carbolic  acid  in  it,  a  man  can  clean  nests 
in  a  jiffy.  Dip  in  keg  and  save  lots  of  time. 
His  lofts  look  neat  at  all  times.  A  man  could 
clean  many  hundred  in  an  hour.  I  use  plenty 
of  salt  in  all  whitewash.  The  birds  peck  at  it, 
and  get  plenty  of  lime  and  salt.  In  buying 
birds  I  always  put  on  an  extra  fifty  cents  a 
pair.  This  gets  the  best  at  all  times  for  foun- 
dation stock. — William  B.  Thomas,  Texas. 


A  great  many  children  come 
into  this  world  every  year  with 
a  decided  deficiency  of  the 
liquor  protoplasm  in  their  little 
bodies,  and  continue  to  suffer 
for  want  of  the  supply  of  it, 
until  some  bright  physician  ad- 
vises that  they  be  given  squabs 
to  eat,  as  it  is  practically  the 
only  known  way  of  supplying 
this  life-giving  fluid.  It  is  a 
well  demonstrated  fact  that 
nothing  is  so  beneficial  in  the 
treatment  of  children 's  diseases, 
such  as  dyspepsia,  stomach  and 
intestinal,  where  the  pancreatic 
and  gastric  juices  have  vanished 
and  the  ptyalin  of  the  saliva 
has  disappeared.  This  squab 
elixir  is  almost  instantly  ab- 
sorbed into  the  veins  and  is  the 
most  nourishing,  invigorating 
and  vitalizing  juice  the  medical 
profession  has  ever  discovered, 
especially  in  the  case  before 
mentioned,  and  also  in  all  other 
"  wasting  away  "  diseases  due 
to  malnutrition.  It  must  not 
be  understood  that  squabs  as  a 
life-building  food  are  necessarily 
confined  to  the  children  —  far 
from  it.  Any  one  suffering  from 
dyspepsia,  indigestion,  chlorosis 
or  any  of  these  system-deplet- 
ing stomach  diseases  is  equally 
benefited.— Franklin  H.  Smith, 
California. 

MY  SALT  CAT,  by  P.  Earl 
Kolb.  Take  one  part  charcoal, 
one  part  sifted  sand  (using  the 
coarse  part),  one  part  salt,  and 
add  a  little  lime,  enough  to  make 
it  stick,  and  add  a  little  water. 
Mix  well.  Make  one  or  more 
wood  moulds  and  fill  them  with 
this  mixture,  then  let  them  dry 
(I  put  mine  near  the  stove,  for 
the  bottom  part  is  hard  to  get 
dried  without  heat).  When  the 
mass  is  hard  it  will  come  out  of 
the  mould  like  a  brick.  Place 

a  brick  on  a  board  in  the  cage  and  the  pigeons 

will  peck  at  it. 

To  retain  the  peculiar  delicate  flavor  of  the 
squab  the  favored  method  of  preparing  them 
for  the  table  is  as  follows:  If  possible  make  use 
of  a  regular  covered  roaster;  in  any  event  use  a 
pan  that  can  be  covered.  If  you  care  to  stuff 
them,  and  oysters  are  not  objectionable,  use 
bread  crumbs  and  fresh  oysters,  though  many 
claim  this  method  is  no  improvement.  Roast 
them  rather  slowly  for  an  hour  and  a  half  or 
two  hours,  basting  with  melted  butter  every 
fifteen  minutes.  In  frying  or  broiling  them  the 
greater  portion  of  the  delicious  delicate  flavor 
of  this  superior  dish  is  lost  and  you  are  the 
loser  thereby. — F.  B.  Shepard,  Pennsylvania. 


APPENDIX  G 


381 


pa 
M 


FOUR-WEEKS  SQUABS  BEAT  EIGHT- 
WEEKS  CHICKS,  by  A.  J.  Alexander.  Six 

s  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  arrived  here 
rch  13.  Three  weeks  later  I  sent  an  order 
for  ten  pairs,  so  I  have  a  stock  of  seventeen 
pairs  and  have  had  them  about  two  months. 
I  now  have  thirty-six  squabs,  about  twenty  of 
them  off  the  nest,  and  they  weigh  at  from 
three  to  four  weeks  old  from  three-quarters  to 
one  pound  each.  I  am  writing  this  to  show 
you  and  others  how  much  easier  it  is  to  raise 
squabs  than  chicks.  I  hatched  twenty-four 
barred  Rock  chickens  in  February  and  March 
and  now  have  only  eight  of  them.  They  have 
disappeared  by  night  from  rats,  and  some 
were  drowned  by  being  led  out  in  grass  by  old 
Biddy.  Each  day  finds  me  looking  them  up 
to  see  if  the  eight  remaining  are  all  there.  My 
little  Rocks  are  now  nice  broilers  while  the 
oldest  squabs  can't  be  told  from  the  old  birds. 
In  fact  my  squabs  are  larger  at  four  weeks  old 
than  the  Rocks  are  at  eight  weeks  old. 

After  I  have  time  to  raise  pigeons  enough  to 
have  a  reasonable  stock  there  will  be  no  more 
chicken  raising  in  mine. 

I  put  an  extra  pick-up  pigeon  egg  into  a 
nest  with  one  egg  and  three  more  were  laid. 
The  hen  hatched  four  squabs  but  one  died. 
One  nest  with  two  squabs  in  it  was  deserted 
and  I  lost  them,  making  three  squabs  lost  out 
of  thirty-nine,  which  is  much  better  than  I  did 
with  chickens  running  at  large  or  in  a  barnyard. 
Doubling  my  stock  in  two  months'  time  I 
think  pretty  good  for  a  new  breeder. 

I  FEED  WILD  SEEDS  PICKED  ON  THE 
STALK,  by  Vivian  E.  Dawley.  I  saw  in  the 
April  issue  of  the  magazine  an  article  by  J.  W. 
Arthurs,  saying  that  Homers  were  real  money- 
makers, and  I  am  convinced  beyond  all  doubt 
that  they  are  as  good  as  the  best,  and  better 
than  the  rest.  I  have  eighteen  pairs  in  one 
pen  and  since  the  first  of  May  have  sold 
$20.73  worth  of  squabs,  and  on  July  24  there 
were  twenty-two  squabs  and  twelve  eggs  in 
the  coop.  All  my  feed  since  April  1  has  con- 
sisted of  yellow  com,  whole  and  cracked,  and 
Canada  peas.  Corn  is  going  up  in  price 
every  week  here.  It  is  now  (July)  $1.50  per 
bag,  and  Canada  peas  $2.40  per  bushel.  My 
wild  seed  I  feed  at  this  time  of  the  year,  green. 
I  pick  it  on  the  stalk  and  place  it  on  the  wire 
in  the  flying  pen,  and  the  birds  get  plenty  of 
exercise  clinging  to  the  wire  and  pecking  it 
to  pieces.  I  keep  grit  by  them  at  all  times,  as 
I  think  it  the  most  essential  of  anything  we 
give  them,  except  water,  which  should  be 
given  at  least  three  times  a  day,  and  the  best 
of  spring  water  should  always  be  used,  as 
river  or  pond  water  is  softer  and  creates  a 
slime  in  the  drinking  fountains  quicker  than 
the  spring  water. 

My  three  hundred  birds  (Homers)  purchased 
ia  May,  1910,  have  given  me  squabs  for  sale 
every  month  since,  except  December,  paying 
from  five  to  seven  per  cent  per  month  on  cost 
of  flock  and  equipment.  I  am  planmng  to  en- 
large my  plant.  —  D.  N.  Carrington,  New  York. 


HOW  I  LEARNED  NOT  TO  LOSE  A 
SQUAB,  by  Mrs.  E.  C.  Monahan.  One  year 
as  a  pigeon  breeder  hardly  seems  long  enough 
for  advice-giving,  but  I  am  so  sure  that  I  have 
the  solution  why  young  stock  are  lost  in  the 
first  few  weeks  after  leaving  the  nests  that  I 
can't  keep  it  to  myself.  Advice  need  not.be 
taken,  anyway.  I  lose  not  one  bird.  When 
the  squabs  first  leave  their  nests,  I  arrange  re- 
treats to  give  the  frightened  little  things 
plenty  of  opportunity  for  rest  from  the  hazing 
even  the  gentle  Carneaux  give.  Next  I  transfer 
them  to  the  youngster  pen  at  night  and  slip 
them  into  a  roomy  corner.  For  several  days 
after  this,  I  scatter  food  handy  before  the 
callow  brood  when  the  older  birds  are  inter- 
ested in  fresh  bath  water  or  a  little  hempseed. 
The  last  thing  at  night,  before  the  newcomers 
have  mustered  courage  to  go  above  to  roost 
where  the  older  birds  already  are,  I  scatter 
grain  as  long  as  it  is  picked  up.  As  I  am  raising 
birds  which  at  eight  months  outweigh  their 
parents,  who  are  eighteen  to  twenty-two-ounce 
Carneaux,  my  plan  seems  a  good  one.  I  also 
keep  the  same  bone  and  muscle-making  dry 
mash  before  them  in  hoppers  that  poultrymen 
say  is  indispensable.  It  is  dry  bran  mixed 
with  charcoal,  grit,  oyster  shell,  salt,  and  a 
very  little  cayenne  pepper  and  commercial 
beef  scraps.  This  hopper  is  liberally  patronized 
by  the  birds.  The  squabs  in  the  nests  nearly 
always  weigh  sixteen  ounces  at  three  weeks, 
and  where  the  nests  are  low  many  of  them 
run  about  at  this  age.  The  parents  feed  them 
for  eight  to  ten  days  longer.  At  five  weeks, 
when  the  young  are  no  longer  tolerated  near 
their  former  home,  I  do  the  transferring.  At 
first  any  work  that  required  handling  the 
pigeons  made  me  about  sick,  for  fear  I  would 
fail  or  would  hurt  the  birds.  I  use  no  net  or 
other  device,  simply  do  all  the  catching  at 
early  roosting  time.  Mated  stock  is  especially 
easy  to  handle  that  way.  The  pigeons  were 
bought  to  keep  me  out  of  doors,  for  reason  of 
health,  but  have  developed  into  a  fine  pin- 
money  investment,  so  the  plant  is  to  be  en- 
larged soon.  I  often  give  the  Squab  Magazine 
to  persons  buying  stock  of  me,  and  recommend 
it  to  all  who  show  the  faintest  interest  in 
pigeons. 

I  notice  some  writers  suggesting  that  the 
first  egg  be  taken  from  the  hen  pigeon  as  soon 
as  laid,  and  another  be  substituted,  until  the 
second  is  laid,  then  both  eggs  again  be  re- 
placed, so  that  the  two  eggs  will  hatch  the 
same  day.  Child  play.  Again  I  wish  to  say 
that  the  birds  with  Nature  as  the  teacher  can 
run  their  own  business.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
as  all  experienced  breeders  know,  the  birds 
do  not  hover  the  first  egg  closely  in  any  season; 
in  winter,  just  enough  to  keep  it  from  freezing. 
You  can  examine  the  one  egg  and  you  will  find 
almost  invariably  the  first  egg  cold  until  the 
hen  goes  on  the  nest  'for  laying  the  second 
egg,  which  is  about  2  p.m.  the  third  day. 
Then  she  hovers  the  eggs  closely,  and  the 
hatching  process  begins  with  the  two  eggs  in 
the  nest. — M.  C.  Martin,  Kansas. 


382 


APPENDIX    G 


FIRST-CLASS  HOMERS  IN  THKIR  KANSAS  HOME. 


SIXTY  CENTS  A  PAIR,  by  Charles  S.  Eby. 
I  have  a  standing  order  for  all  the  Plymouth 
Rock  Extra  Homer  squabs  I  can  raise  from  a 
large  firm  in  Detroit  (Michigan),  and  they 
pay  me  sixty  cents  a  pair,  just  as  they  are  off 
the  nest.  They  told  me  they  were  the  largest 
squabs  they  had  ever  seen.  They  weigh 
from  one  pound  to  nineteen  ounces  apiece.  I 
think  I  have  the  largest  or  rather  the  heaviest 
Homer  squabs  in  the  country.  Don't  you 
think  so?  The  smallest  squab  I  ever  weighed 
at  four  weeks  of  age  weighed  fifteen  ounces. 
I  have  lost  but  three  old  birds  since  I  started, 
and  that  was  with  sour  crop,  caused  by  poor 
feed. 

Question :  I  am  going  to  start  squab  raising 
in  a  carriage  house  which  is  now  overrun  with 
rats  and  mice.  How  should  I  arrange  the  place 
to  keep  them  out?  Answer:  I  advise  you  to  lay 
one-half  inch  mesh  wire  netting  on  the  whole 
floor,  also  the  walls  and  ceiling,  so  as  to  make 
it  physically  impossible  for  rats  or  mice  to 
get  into  the  squab  room  from  the  outside. 
If  you  have  a  double  floor  you  can  lay  the  wire 
netting  between  the  floors.  You  must  be 
careful  to  screen  the  ventilators,  and  in  the 
management  of  the  window,  especially  when 
closing  for  the  night. 

Question:  Here  in  Illinois  we  have  cow  peas 
in  plenty.  Are  they  good  feed  for  squabs,  and 
are  they  as  good  as  Canada  peas?  I  can  buy 
them  for  from  $1.25  to  $1.75  per  bushel,  accord- 
ing to  the  season.  Answer:  Cow  peas  are  not 
favored  so  much  as  Canada  peas  and  are  gen- 
erally more  expensive.  They  are  all  right  to 
feed  to  pigeons. 

Question:  I  am  a  woman  and  dislike  to 
kill  and  pluck  the  squabs.  Would  you  recom- 
mend my  shipping  the  young  squabs  alive 
from  Mississippi  to  the  northern  markets? 
Answer:  No.  If  you  don't  like  to  kill  them, 
why  don't  you  raise  up  your  pigeons  for  breed- 
ers and  sell  them  alive  in  pairs,  as  so  many  are 
now  doing? 


WHAT  AN  EASTERNER  SEES  IN  CALI- 
FORNIA, by  B.  F.  Babcock.  Having  been  in 
Southern  California  and  Los  Angeles  for  over  a 
year,  it  has  given  me  a  good  opportunity  to 
look  around  and  give  to  the  readers  of  this 
magazine  an  idea  of  the  possibilities  of  squab 
business  in  Southern  California.  The  climate 
is  par  excellence  (except  occasional  fog  and 
dampness  in  the  morning,  which  may  cause 
sickness  among  the  breeders,  but  this  is  easily 
overcome)  having  none  of  the  extreme  Eastern 
winters  and  no  bad  storms.  I  have  not  so  far 
seen  any  squabs  in  the  markets  that  compare 
with  the  ones  that  I  raised  in  New  Jersey  from 
Plymouth  Rock  Extra  Homers  and  sent  to  the 
New  York  markets. 

I  have  been  raising  pigeons  for  the  last  few 
years,  but  never  paid  any  attention  to  the  rais- 
ing of  squabs  for  market  until  about  a  year  ago. 
I  had  some  Homer  pigeons,  and  then  I  bought 
a  few  more,  and  sold  my  first  pair  of  squabs  in 
May,  1910,  and  from  that  time  on  I  have  had 
sale  for  all  the  squabs  I  could  raise.  I  sell  all 
my  squabs  dressed,  and  get  seventy-five  cents  a 
pair  for  all.  I  feed  corn,  wheat,  kaffir  corn, 
buckwheat,  hemp,  peas,  barley  and  millet. 
They  are  very  prolific  breeders  and  raise  nice 
squabs.  I  am  a  great  lover  of  pigeons  and  find 
squab  raising  very  interesting  work.  I  have 
been  a  subscriber  to  the  Squab  Magazine  since 
January,  1910,  and  think  it  is  the  best  period- 
ical on  pigeons  ever  published,  and  would  not 
be  without  it. — Ralph  Lenz,  Ohio. 

I  bought  some  fine  Homers  from  the  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Squab  Company  two  years  ago. 
A  friend  asked  me  to  try  my  birds  in  a  Homing 
Club,  but  I  thought  they  were  not  good  enough 
for  racing.  I  joined  one  of  the  largest  Homing 
Clubs  in  Canada.  I  won  a  good  many  prizes 
in  the  club,  the  birds  flying  as  far  North  as 
Cobalt. — Peter  Chormanri,  Ontario. 

The  retail  prices  in  Providence  for  ten- 
pound  squabs  are  $1.10  per  pair,  $5  per  dozen. — 
H.  C.  Card,  Rhode  Island. 


APPENDIX  G 


383 


HOW  I  BUILT  LARGE  FROM  A  SMALL 
START,  by  W.  E.  Blakslee.  Many  times  we 
fail  to  realize  that  the  things  we  do  for  a  pleas- 
ant pastime  may  become  most  important  later. 
About  three  years  ago  I  thought  it  would  be 
an  enjoyable  and  interesting  way  to  spend  my 
spare  time  to  have  a  small  flock  of  pigeons,  and 
make  a  study  of  raising  both  breeders  and 
squabs.  At  that  time  I  little  realized  what 
it  was  going  to  mean  for  me  later. 

My  first  move  was  to  obtain  the  National 
Standard  Squab  Book  and  study  up  what 
information  I  could  derive  from  that.  I 
found  it  to  be  a  great  aid  to  me  for  the  "  know 
how,"  and  what  to  do,  in  getting  my  place  in 
proper  shape  for  keeping  birds.  As  I  advanced 
in  my  experience  I  appreciated  more  and  more 
what  the  Manual  taught. 

I  fixed  a  place  at  the  start  for  a  good  number 
of  birds,  and  also  a  good-sized  rearing  pen. 
My  first  order  to  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab 
Company  was  for  only  three  pairs  of  birds. 
It  was  my  intention  to  go  slow  and  sure,  and 
let  my  knowledge  increase  as  my  birds  in- 
creased. I  can  see  what  it  means  to  me  now 
in  being  able  to  handle  any  number  of  pigeons 
with  perfect  ease. 

After  I  got  started  under  way,  I  found  my- 
self getting  more  and  more  interested.  There 
seems  to  be  something  very  attractive  in  it  if 
one  once  gets  fully  interested.  The  growth 
of  the  squab  is  a  fast  and  wonderful  develop- 
ment. Any  lover  of  nature  cannot  help  being 
astonished  by  seeing  it.  After  one  has  raised 
a  nice  lot  of  selected  breeders,  he  certainly  has 
done  a  work  to  be  proud  of. 

As  I  advanced  in  raising  my  flock,  I  added 
now  and  then  a  few  birds  from  Mr.  Rice  to 
mix  in  with  my  own  raising.  I  had  such  good 
success,  and  increased  so  fast,  that  many 
times  I  found  myself  wishing  I  could  devote 
my  whole  time  to  them.  I  little  thought  then 
the  time  would  come  so  soon  for  me  to  do  so. 
My  birds  have  done  well  and  proved  a  perfect 
success  from  my  start,  and  I  have  a  fine  large 
flock  at  present  that  is  a  good  investment  for 
me.  I  have  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  my 
health  and  have  had  to  stay  in  a  higher  altitude 
than  my  own  home  all  the  summer,  leaving  my 
home  and  birds  to  the  care  of  my  wife  and 
daughter,  who  have  kept  everything  right  up 
to  good  success  and  standard.  This  proves  a 
family  might  be  left  in  worse  circumstances 
than  having  a  good,  profitable  flock  of  pigeons 
to  help  out.  My  condition  has  made  it  neces- 
sary for  me  to  give  up  my  home  in  the  valley 
for  one  in  the  mountains,  so  I  am  having  to 
give  up  my  position  in  the  manufacturing  line 
and  do  what  I  am  next  best  fitted  for,  and  able. 
If  it  was  not  for  my  squab  experience,  I  don't 
know  what  I  would  take  up,  for  I  am  prepared 
for  maintaining  myself  only  in  a  mechanical 
life.  It  now  looks  as  if  the  squab  business 
came  to  me  for  a  good  purpose.  I  now  have 
nearly  a  thousand  pairs,  all  Plymouth  Rock 
stock.  I  am  getting  fine  squabs,  very  few  less 
than  ten  ounces,  most  twelve  to  fourteen 
ounces  and  very  often  I  find  a  few  fifteen, 
sixteen  and  seventeen  ounces. 


HOW  WE  RID  A  LOFT  OF  FLIES  AND 
MICE,  by  H.  J.  Moeller.  We  are  living  in 
the  trade  'center  of  this  state  (Wisconsin),  but 
the  game  laws  extend  over  such  a  wide  range 
of  time,  that  it  is  a  hard  proposition  to  have 
our  squabs  bring  the  right  market  prices. 
At  present  (July)  we  are  receiving  three  dollars 
per  dozen  for  squabs  weighing  eight  to  nine 
pounds  per  dozen,  while  the  same  are  being 
retailed  for  four  and  five  dollars.  The  prices 
of  grain,  however,  are  reasonable,  thus  afford- 
ing us  one  advantage  over  the  low  prices  paid. 
We  have  arranged  to  have  always  about  fifty 
extra,  nestbowls  on  hand,  so  that  when  the 
squabs  are  taken  from  the  soiled  ones  we  can 
quickly  take  them  out  and  replace  with  clean 
ones.  Then  if  the  time  does  not  permit  we 
can  put  the  dirty  nestbowls  aside  and  clean 
them  later  in  the  day.  After  the  nests  are 
cleaned  we  scrub  them  with  a  solution  of  lime 
and  carbolic  acid.  We  also  use  the  crystal 
form  of  carbolic  acid  as  a  disinfectant  around 
the  coop,  placing  it  on  different  parts  of  the 
floor  in  cans  with  the  tops  perforated.  This 
is  a  quick  way  to  rid  a  loft  of  flies  and  mice,  as 
neither  of  them  can  bear  the  odor.  For  nest- 
ing material  we  use  nothing  but  tobacco  stems 
in  the  warm  months  and  marsh  hay  in  the 
winter.  Our  loft  is  given  a  good  cleaning 
twice  a  year,  and  painted  a  good  heavy  coat 
of  whitewash.  The  floor  and  nests  are  at- 
tended to  weekly. 

I  have  just  finished  the  job  of  whitewashing 
my  pen  with  a  very  good  whitewash  made  as 
follows:  Dump  a  bushel  of  lime  into  a  water- 
tight barrel  and  add  water  until  it  is  slaked, 
at  the  same  time  adding  cup  by  cup,  while 
the  slaking  is  going  on  and  the  mixture  is  very 
hot,  common  kerosene  oil  until  you  have 
added  a  gallon.  If  added  in  this  way  the  oil 
forms  a  curious  chemical  combination  with 
the  slaked  lime.  The  product  when  mixed 
with  water  to  form  a  whitewash  of  ordinary 
consistency  gives  a  smooth,  hard  finish,  brilliant 
whitewash.  Fill  the  barrel  up  with  water 
after  the  mixture  has  cooled,  when  a  small 
amount  of  the  uncombined  oil  rises  to  the 
surface  and  protects  the  wash  against  deteriora- 
tion. Any  unused  residue  keeps  for  years. 
Put  the  wash  made  as  indicated  above  on  the 
outside  of  everything  that  you  wish  a  brilliant, 
durable  white.  On  the  inside  use  the  same 
whitewash,  modified  by  adding  a  third  of  a  cup 
of  crude  carbolic  acid  (purchased  at  drug 
store)  to  the  water  bucket  of  the  wash.  The 
carbolic  acid  reacts  with  the  lime,  making 
carbolate  of  lime,  which  is  the  basis  of  most 
of  the  li  ce  powders.  This  is  an  excellent  white- 
wash to  put  on  the  nestboxes  and  walls  on  the 
inside  of  the  squabhouses. — H.  M.  Mayhew, 
California. 

Carneaux  come  not  only  in  red  splashed  with 
white,  but  also  yellow  splashed  with  white  and 
solid  yellow.  These  colors  are  liable  to  come 
out  at  any  time,  just  as  several  colors  come  from 
Homers. 


384 


APPENDIX  G 


years   ago  the   Healys 
'  -s  of  P" 
Home 


purchased  twenty  pairs  of  Ply- 
mouth   Rock    Extra 


his  Horn! 


SMALL  SQUABHOUSE. 
right-hand  picture  is  seen  a  group 


PITTSBURG  A  RICH  MARKET  FOR 
SQUABS,  by  William  McK.  Ewart.  One 

year  ago  last  March,  I  purchased  twenty-six 
pairs  of  Plymouth   Rock   Carneaux  and  nine 

n'  s  of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  I 
no  intention  of  making  a  business  out  of 
my  birds,  but  bought  them  to  please  my  son. 
This  started  me  to  making  an  effort  to  reach 
two  hundred  pairs  of  birds.  Last  August  I 
started  to  kill  squabs  and  have  been  since 
selling  them  to  a  Pittsburg  wholesaler  who 
pays  liberally  and  takes  all  I  offer  him.  I 
must  tell  you  what  grand  breeders  my  birds 
have  been.  By  substituting  Carneaux  eggs 
under  Homers,  I  have  been  getting  my  best 
birds  to  lay  fifteen  times  a  year.  (For  full 
directions  for  doing  this,  see  page  231  of  this 
Manual.)  The  squabs  weigh  a  pound  at  four 
weeks  of  age,  which  is  what  good  Carneaux 
should  weigh.  Most  of  my  young  birds  have 
proven  as  good  and  better  than  my  old  ones, 
which  goes  to  prove  that  my  original  birds  were 
first  class.  It  pays  always  to  buy  the  best. 

A  friend  of  mine  told  me  about  mixing 
Venetian  red  in  the  grit,  which  has  proven  a 
first-class  way  to  give  it  to  them.  They  must 
get  the  red  when  they  eat  the  grit.  I  have  no 
trouble  now  with  canker. 

Another  plan  of  his  is  to  equip  your  nests 
with  wire  bobs,  made  from  griddle  toasters, 
which  cost  five  cents  each.  Have  these 
fastened  on  your  nests  when  squabs  are  about 
three  weeks  old,  and  keep  them  there  till  you 
are  ready  to  kill  at  four  weeks.  This  keeps  the 
squabs  from  getting  out  on  the  floor  and 
running  off  all  their  flesh  and  weight.  The  old 
birds  feed  them  through  these  wire  bobs  which 
will  swing  in  if  you  wish  them  to,  thus  letting 
the  old  bird  into  the  nest.  This,  however, 
requires  you  to  let  the  old  bird  out  to  get  feed 
and  exercise.  I  find  the  cock  bird  will  feed 
through  these  wires  all  right. 

While  raising  youngsters  I  found  that  more 
females  were  dying  than  males,  §o  I  tried  the 
scheme  of  taking  away  the  first  egg  and  only 
hatching  the  second.  As  a  result  I  now  am 
actually  long  on  hens. 


The  increase  was  conserved, 
the  culls  disposed  of,  and  new 
stock  was  introduced  and  added 
just  as  fast  as  the  owners  were 
able  to  pay  for  it.  The  market- 
ing of  squabs  was  also  carried 
along  with  the  growth  of  the 
plant,  demonstrating  conclus- 
ively that  the  profits  would  be 
greater,  and  the  expense  far 
less  than  usual  to  the  conduct 
of  a  large  chicken  plant.  The 
houses,  fliesand  other  equipment 
were  gradually  gotten  in  place. 
As  the  large  stock  of  poultry 
was  disposed  of  the  proceeds 
were  invested  in  more  adult 
Homers,  and  some  Carneaux. 
The  flock  has  grown  until  now 
there  are  750  pairs  of  producing  birdsin  the  nine- 
teen units  of  houses  and  flies.  No  more  beautiful 
sight  was  ever  beheld  than  that  presented  by 
these  contented  and  happy  birds  in  their  clean 
and  comfortable  homes.  Shipments  of  squabs 
to  New  York  have  been  successfully  made 
through  three  summers  without  the  loss  of  a 
single  bird  and  no  shipment  has  been  re-iced 
en  route.  In  each  box  is  a  tiny  outlet  for 
drainage.  The  rate  to  New  York  is  $3.50  per 
one  hundred  pounds  by  express,  there  being 
no  charge  made  for  the  ice.  The  boxes  are 
returned  at  a  very  low  charge  and  one  box 
will  make  the  round  trip  in  six  days.  The 
New  York  market  alone  would  take  one 
hundred  birds  for  every  single  bird  offered. 
There  is  no  way  to  fill  the  demand  and  there 
seems  to  be  no  limit  to  the  demand.  Mr. 
Healy,  the  manager,  stated  that  while  he  had 
no  stock  of  any  kind  for  sale,  he  would  be  glad 
to  see  others  enter  the  business,  as  there  is 
no  element  of  risk  encountered  in  it,  and, 
with  fairly  good  attention  and  a  little  capital 
most  any  energetic  person  could  make  a  suc- 
cess of  the  industry. — T.  K.  Bates,  Florida. 

If  you  raise  pigeons  get  all  you  can  out  of 
them.  Raising  squabs  is  a  business,  so  by  all 
means  make  it  a  business.  You  would  not  in- 
vest your  good  money  in  a  dry-goods  business 
and  sit  down  and  expect  the  business  to  come  to 
you.  If  a  business  man  with  the  big,  red-writ- 
ten word  of  success  ever  before  you,  you  would 
fix  up  your  show  windows  to  attract  attention, 
would  carry  all  the  newest  and  best  goods,  and, 
above  all,  you  would  advertise  and  advertise 
well.  What  applies  to  one  business  applies  to 
another.  If  you  go  in  for  squabs,  either  as 
your  business  or  as  a  help  to  your  income,  go 
into  it  well,  and  with  all  your  heart.  Do  not 
buy  your  birds  and  then  sit  down  and  wait  for 
results. — Charles  B.  Durborow,  New  Jersey. 

Your  birds  have  proven  to  be  what  you  claim 
them  to  be.  I  find  also  that  I  can  depend  upon 
you  with  absolute  confidence. — Sylvester 
Grote,  Ohio. 


APPENDIX  G 


385 


POOR  JUDGMENT  IN  MARKETING 
SQUABS.  Members  of  the  National  Squab 
Breeders'  Association  will  be  interested  in 
the  following  letter  received  from  New  Jersey: 

"  I  take  my  squabs  to  a  New  York  supply 
house,  and  am  getting  top  prices.  I  have 
found  out  that  some  breeders  are  considerably 
to  blame  if  low  prices  for  squabs  prevail.  A 
commission  man  sold  me  eight  dozen  eight- 
pound  squabs  for  $1.96  a  dozen,  and  the 
breeder  received  $1.87  a  dozen,  minus  express- 
age.  I  sold  these  squabs  at  $3  a  dozen,  but  I 
can  not  always  do  this,  as  they  smelled  a  rat." 

The  above  is  an  instance  where  one  squab 
breeder  profited  by  the  ignorance  of  another. 

What  happened  was  this:  The  breeder  of 
the  squabs  had  eight  dozen  good  ones  which  he 
could  have  sold  at  retail  by  the  use  of  ordinary 
intelligence  and  the  directions  given  by  the 
National  Squab  Magazine  for  $5  a  dozen,  and 
at  wholesale  for  at  least  $3  a  dozen.  He 
parted  with  them  at  the  absurdly  low  price 
of  $1.87  a  dozen.  The  expressman  or  other 
middleman  reported  to  him  that  the  sale  had 
been  made  at  $1.96  and  took  off  nine  cents  a 
dozen  commission,  probably  figuring  at  five 
per  cent.  The  breeder  did  not  get  the  whole 
of  $1.87,  because  the  express  charges  had  to 
come  out  of  that.  It  reads  like  an  express 
company  sale.  All  interstate  express  com- 
panies have  what  is  called  order  and  com- 
mission departments.  They  will  take  any 
farm  produce  and  sell  it  on  commission.  In 
such  cases  the  wagon  starts  out  from  the  depot 
with  the  goods  and  the  driver  calls  at  a  con- 
venient marketplace.  It  is  for  the  interest  of 
the  express  company  to  sell  the  goods  at  highest 
price  so  that  they  can  get  a  higher  commission 
but  their  interest  is  not  nearly  so  strong  as  that 
of  the  shipper  and  as  a  matter  of  fact,  in  the 
case  of  perishable  goods,  they  are  anxious  to 
get  rid  of  the  load  in  the  quickest  possible  time. 
The  buyers  know  all  this  and  taking  advantage 
of  the  circumstances,  buy  at  what  is  practically 
their  own  figure.  The  expressman  will  put  up 
no  argument  with  them  and  will  not  move  on 
to  another  place  but  concludes  the  sale  then 
and  there.  Franklin  wrote:  "  If  you  want  a 
thing  done  well,  do  it  yourself."  If  you  wish 
your  squabs  sold  properly,  sell  them  yourself; 
you  are  the  interested  party  and  don't  think 
that  anybody  else  will  fight  your  battles  for 
you. 

The  man  who  sold  the  squabs  for  $3  a  dozen 
made  his  profit  because  his  intelligence  was 
superior  to  the  breeder's.  It  is  a  case  of 
knowledge  and  skill  every  time  when  squabs 
are  marketed.  It  seems  incredible  that  the 
original  breeder  was  a  member  of  our  associa- 
tion. 

Some  might  ask:  Was  not  the  commission 
man  to  blame  for  buying  the  squabs  so  cheaply? 
Did  he  not  rob  the  breeder?  It  is  business,  and 
honorable  business,  to  buy  in  the  cheapest  and 
sellin  the  dearest  market.  The  breeder  was  to 
blame,  if  anybody,  in  giving  up  his  squabs  so 
cheaply.  He  would  not  have  done  so,  had  he 
known  that  another  breeder  would  step  in  and 
buy,  and  again  sell,  at  a  profit.  This  lack  of 


knowledge  on  the  part  of  any  squab  breeder  is 
easily  remedied  by  joining  the  National  Squab 
Breeders'  Association,  subscribing  for  the  mag- 
azine, reading  it  every  month,  and  remem- 
bering what  he  reads.  The  subscription  price 
of  the  magazine  for  a  year  can  be  saved  on 
every  dozen  of  squabs  marketed  if  the  reader 
will  sell  as  we  have  instructed  him  to  sell. 

HOW  I  CATCH  MATES  THROUGH  PEEP- 
HOLES, by  Arthur  H.  Penny.  I  have  been  in 
the  squab  business  four  years,  and  have  learned 
by  hard  experience  a  few  things  that  may  help 
others  just  beginning.  From  my  observation, 
and  what  I  have  learned  from  hotel  stewards, 
commission  men,  too,  I  believe  that  Homers  are 
much  the  best  for  the  squab  breeder,  unless 
he  has  very  fancy  private  trade.  My  squabs 
bring  $4  a  dozen  for  all  weighing  seven  pounds 
to  the  dozen  and  over,  and  I  find  this  a  very 
good  price.  If  I  had  all  ten  and  twelve-pound 
squabs,  I  could  not  hope  to  get  very  much  more 
for  them,  and  taking  into  consideration  the 
greater  amount  of  feed  required  for  the  larger 
birds,  and  the  fewer  squabs  produced,  I  consider 
the  Homers  more  profitable.  I  have  never  seen 
described  my  method  of  mating,  which  has 
proven  easy  and  satisfactory.  I  have  several 
pens  for  the  youngsters  that  are  boarded  all 
around,  with  a  peep-hole,  close  by  a  slide  in  each 
door.  When  the  birds  are  mating,  I  watch 
them  through  the  peep-hole,  and  when  I  see  a 
pair  together  in  a  nestbox,  building  a  nest,  I 
walk  in  on  them  quickly,  and  almost  always 
catch  one  in  each  hand.  If  I  am  not  certain  I 
have  the  right  ones,  I  let  them  go  and  try  again. 
For  this  method,  rather  a  small  pen  is  best,  and 
not  more  than  one  hundred  birds  in  a  pen. 

COST  PER  PAIR  FOR  ME,  $1.60  A  YEAR, 
by  G.  Allan  Sorrick.  During  the  first  week  in 
March,  with  a  pen  of  eighteen  working  pairs,  I 
endeavored  to  ascertain  the  cost  of  feeding  a 
pair  of  breeders  for  a  year  with  feed  per  bushel 
as  follows:  Corn  .80,  wheat  $1.20,  peas  $1.59, 
millet  $1.38,  buckwheat  $1.11,  grit  $1.50  per 
100.  Total  pounds  fed  30  3-4,  cost  57  cents,  or 
$1.60  a  pair  a  year.  One  year  ago  I  made  the 
same  test,  result  $1.80  a  pair.  I  credit  the 
difference  to  buying  feed  in  larger  quantities, 
and  a  different  method  of  feeding.  The  Pitts- 
burg  wholesale  prices  to  jobbers  and  retailers, 
which  are  an  advance  over  prices  paid  to  pro- 
ducers and  shippers,  were  from  December  1  to 
April  $5.50  and  $5.75.  Newspaper  market 
quotations  $4.75  and  $5. 

Few  squabhouses  are  heated.  Cold  air,  if 
pure,  will  not  hurt  pigeons  if  they  are  well  fed. 
It  is  customary  for  the  old  birds  to  hover  their 
young  more  closely  during  freezing  weather. 
If  the  pigeons  are  not  broken  in  to  cold  weather 
you  will  find  some  frozen  squabs  in  the  squab- 
house  if  you  forget  and  leave  the  windows  open 
on  such  a  flock  some  night  in  zero  weather. 
The  Squab  Magazine  has  printed  articles 
written  by  Canadian  breeders  telling  how  they 
breed  squabs  through  the  winter  as  well  as 
the  summer  in  houses  built  of  cotton  cloth. 


386 


APPENDIX    G 


TWO  KINDS  OF  SQUABS. 

_  The  top  picture  shows  Homer  squabs  ten  days  old:  the  bottom  a 
pair  of  Carneaux  squabs  almost  four  weeks  old. 
closer    to    the    Homers    than   to  the  Carneaux,   so 
proportionately.) 


I  received  the  Plymouth  Rock  Carneaux  ten 
days  ago  and  the  other  goods  a  few  days  before 
the  arrival  of  the  birds.  Everything  came  to 
me  in  good  shape  and  is  satisfactory  in  every 
way.  I  am  not  much  given  to  making  testi- 
monials, but  I  want  to  say  that  the  birds  you 
sent  me  are  fine,  indeed  much  better  than  I  ex- 
pected, or  bargained  for.  You  advised  me 
that  you  had  now  no  solid  yellow  birds,  so  I  was 
much  surprised  to  find  one  fine  yellow  ccck  and 
three  other  birds  so  nearly  solid  yellow  that  the 
white  can  be  seen  only  by  close  examination. 
I  made  two  entries  in  the  pigeon  show  I  told 
you  about,  and  won  first'in  class  of  five.  Some 
of  the  pairs  have  already  gone  to  work  and  h 


eggs,  alth 
Deardorff  , 


Indiana. 


Since  quail  can  no  longer  be 
served  at  California  hotels  and 
cafes,  fine,  fat  squabs  are 
filling  the  place  at  first-class 
tables.  A  large  squab  plant 
about  sixty  miles  from  San  Fran- 
cisco has  a  contract  for  all  its 
squabs  (large  varieties),  killed 
and  feathers  off,  at  $5.50  per 
dozen.  Another  gets  $5  alive 
the  year  around.  When  we  con- 
sider that  these  birds  are  but 
four  or  five  weeks  old,  and  re- 
quire little  or  no  care  except 
that  the  parent  birds  are  well 
fed  and  watered,  it  certainly 
looks  well  for  this  growing  busi- 
ness. It  pays,  like  any  busi- 
ness, to  raise  the  best.  When 
people  ship  little,  half-fed,  half- 
feathered,  black-meated  squabs, 
bred  from  small  stock,  there  is 
small  profit,  and  no  satisfaction 
to  seller,  dealer  or  consumer. 
The  San  Francisco  papers  have 
all  summer  quoted  squabs  at 
$2  to  $2.50  per  dozen,  but  hun- 
dreds of  shippers  have  been 
getting  from  $3  to  $5  right 
through,  according  to  size  and 
quality.  They  pay  better  than 
chickens.  One  squab  plant  in 
Sonoma  County  sends  as  high 
as  700  fat  squabs  per  month  to 
San  Francisco.— W.  A.  Bolton, 
California. 


I  am  shipping  Plymouth 
Rock  squabs  to  a  hotel  in  Ind- 
iana. They  give  me  $3.75  a 
dozen.  They  wanted  me  to  sell 
them  by  the  pound,  offering 
me  so  much  for  twelve  pounds, 
but  I  made  one  shipment  of 
sixteen  Homer  squabs  that 
weighed  twelve  pounds,  and 
._,,  they  were  so  well  pleased  with 

(PC  1" "T?  wa8     them,    that  I  finally  got  $3.75 
they  look  larger    per  dozen  to  start_  and  j  think 

about  $4.50  per  dozen  the  year 
round.  The  parties  I  deal 
with  send  me  a  check  on  the  first  and  fif- 
teenth of  each  month.  They  will  accept  even 
half  a  dozen  squabs  at  one  time.  The  express 
charges  on  my  shipments  are  only  twenty-five 
cents. — Mrs.  Ida  Kosman,  Indiana. 


In  South  Bend,  the  people  like  squabs  very 
much,  but  they  do  not  want  to  pay  more  than 
$3  per  dozen.  I  sold  some  squabs  in  Chicago 
last  summer  at  $3  per  dozen.  I  paid  the  mer- 
chandise express  rate  for  dressed  squabs  until 
we  got  a  new  agent.  I  asked  him  what  the 
express  rate  on  dressed  squabs  was.  He 
looked  it  up  and  found  that  they  go  at  the 
general  special  rate,  which  is  less  than  mer- 
chandise rate. — W.  O.  Bunch,  Indiana. 


APPENDIX  G 


387 


CHICAGO  $4.50  A  DOZEN,  by  Stewart  Gal- 
braith.  Send  the  National  Squab  Magazine 
for  another  year.  I  like  it  and  prize  it  next 
to  the  National  Standard  Squab  Book, 
which  taught  me  how  to  raise  squabs  at  a  profit. 
I  live  in  a  suburb  of  Chicago  and  get  $4.50  a 
dozen  for  my  squabs  twenty-five  to  thirty 
days  old,  not  picked,  no  express  charges,  and 
although  I  have  about  one  hundred  breeders, 
I  cannot  begin  to  supply  the  demand.  I  have 
only  the  best  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  I  use 
a  prepared  pigeon  feed  only,  costing  $2  a 
hundred  in  half-ton  lots  delivered.  I  have  an 
iron  kitchen  sink  sunk  in  the  pigeon  fly.  The 
fly  is  forty-four  by  ferty,  nine  feet  high,  and 
as  I  have  the  garden  hose  attached  to  faucet 
in  basement  and  running  to  this  sink  with 
water  running  slowly  all  times  (except  very 
cold  weather)  and  keep  a  solution  of  perman- 
ganate of  potash  in  the  water,  I  don't  know 
what  canker  is.  Put  one-quarter  ounce  perman- 
ganate of  potash  in  a  pint  bottle  of  water  and 
use  about  one  teaspoonful  of  this  solution  to 
one  gallon  of  water. 

HOMERS  ARE  WORTHY  THEIR  HIGH 
PLACE,  by  Harry  M.  Samson.  Only  too  often 
the  opportunity  presents  itself  for  the  man  with 
a  fairly  productive  loft  of  Homers  and  kindred 
breeds  to  launch  out  upon  the  sea  of  uncer- 
tainty by  becoming  interested  in  some  of  the 
larger  varieties  of  squab  producers.  There  are 
about  as  many  varieties  of  large  squab  pro- 
ducers as  there  are  hairs  on  a  dog's  tail,  some 
good,  others  fairly  so  and  many  absolutely 
worthless.  It  is  not  size  that  counts,  but  the 
breeding  qualities.  An  old  breeder  quoted 
something  that  seems  to  ring  true,  viz.,  "  Other 
birds  may  come  and  other  birds  may  go,  but 
the  Homer  keeps  on  forever."  Go  where  you 
will,  one  finds  the  Homer  in  evidence. 

The  safe  way  in  shipping  is  to  have  a  tag  of 
your  own  printed  something  as  follows:  "PLY- 
MOUTH ROCK  SQUABS,  from  JOHN 
JONES.  COLLIERS,  WEST  VIRGINIA, 
PERISHABLE  RUSH,  FOR  "  and  then  write 
plainly  in  ink  or  indelible  pencil  the  full  name 
and  address  of  the  consignee,  being  sure  to  put 
on  his  street  address  and  spell  out  in  full  the 
name  of  his  state.  Inside  the  box  put  your  in- 
voice, with  your  name  and  address  in  full 
printed  on  it,  and  send  him  by  mail  a  letter 
telling  him  what  and  when  you  are  shipping, 
with  duplicate  invoice. 

Sometimes  irresponsible  grain  dealers  will 
doctor  peas,  and  actually  make  them  poisonous 
for  pigeons.  Some  of  the  least  scrupulous  will 
go  so  far  as  to  take  a  lot  of  cracked  corn  or  other 
grain  which  is  green  with  mould  and  dye  it 
yellow.  Such  grain  will  make  pigeons  sick  and 
kill  squabs.  Cases  of  sickness  and  deaths  in 
the  squabhouse  are  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten 
traceable  to  the  grain.  One  must  be  observing 
to  detect  such  bad  grain  and  it  is  not  to  be 
wondered  that  other  causes  are  imagined. 
The  remedy  is  to  buy  grain  only  of  reliable 
dealers. 


HOW  TO  FASTEN  WIRE  NETTING,  by 
W.  O.  Bunch.  Take  No.  12  galvanized  wire 
and  with  a  pair  of  common  pliers  in  the  right 
hand  and  the  wire  in  the  left  make  a  ring  about 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  Then 
cut  off  and  make  another,  or  as.  many  as  you 
want.  These  little  rings  should  be  open  enough 
so  that  you  can  easily  put  one  around  the  two 
outside  wires  of  the  poultry  netting.  Then  with 
the  pliers  pinch  the  little  rings  together.  An- 
other nice  way  is  to  take  hog  rings  and  with  hog 
ringers  you  can  fasten  the  netting  together 
very  quickly  and  neatly. 

Question:  In  my  flock  of  thirty-five  pairs 
of  Homers  which  at  one  time  were,  all  mated 
and  at  work,  eight  pairs  have  broken  up  and 
taken  other  mates.  One  male  bird  has  raised 
squabs  with  three  females,  and  built  a  nest 
with  one,  leaving  her  before  she  laid  eggs, 
making  four  matings  for  him  in  eight  months, 
or  less.  Is  this  customary?  Answer:  In 
every  flock  there  are  exceptions  to  the  rule. 
For  that  reason,  no  seller  can  give  mated 
pairs  whose  matings  are  guaranteed  to  hold 
absolutely.  I  think  it  is  a  mistake,  as  I  have 
many  times  written,  to  advertise  mated  pairs 
guaranteed,  for  pigeons  themselves  settle 
such  matters.  Moreover,  if  one  sells  what 
he  calls  guaranteed  mated  pairs,  this  means, 
in  the  mind  of  a  rascal,  that  the  buyer  can  hold 
the  seller  responsible  for  profits  he  might  have 
made  if  certain  pairs  had  held  continuously 
together,  instead  of  readjusting,  as  in  the 
above  case.  That  may  seem  to  be  far-fetched, 
but  I  have  seen  it  tried.  The  most  satisfactory 
way  to  sell  pigeons  is  to  let  the  customer  try 
them  for  a  while  and,  if  he  is  not  pleased  with 
them,  exchange  them,  or  refund  his  money. 
That  certainly  is  fair  both  to  buyer  and  seller. 
Anybody  who  would  guarantee  the  flirtings 
and  other  love  affairs  of  a  pair  of  pigeons  in  a 
pen  with  many  other  pigeons  has  quite  a  con- 
tract on  his  hands.  It  has  been  my  experience 
that  those  who  were  the  most  insistent  in 
guaranteeing  such  matters  have  been  the  slow- 
est in  performance.  They  rectified  nothing 
and  in  the  end,  ninety-nine  per  cent  of  them 
went  out  of  business.  The  reasons  pigeons 
look  for  new  mates  occasionally  are  the  same 
as  one  sees  every  day  in  the  human  family. 
The  rule  among  humans,  as  among  pigeons,  is 
that  of  one  wife,  one  husband,  nevertheless 
there  are  sailors  with  a  sweetheart  in  every 
port,  and  railroad  men  with  wives  at  both  ends 
of  the  line. — Elmer  C.  Rice. 

In  Savannah  there  is  great  interest  in  pigeons. 
The  Homers  and  Carneaux  have  full  sway 
down  here.  They  are  raised  mostly  for  pets 
and  not  for  commercial  purposes.  The  Homer 
squabs  bring  from  $4.50  to  $5.00  a  dozen  and 
the  matured  birds  about  $3.00  a  pair.  The 
Carneaux  bring  $6.00  a  dozen  for  the  squabs. 
The  matured  birds  are  $5.00  a  pair  straight. 
The  demand  exceeds  the  supply  and  it  is  a 
pity  that  some  large  plant  is  not  established 
here.  The  hotels  sell  the  squabs  as  quail. — 
Timothy  F.  Sullivan,  Georgia. 


388 


APPENDIX  G 


THE  PERCY  PERKINS  ENERGIZER. 

The  inventor  finds  use  for  this  excellent  machine  almost  daily, 
in  his  work  among  the  squabs. 


A  word  of  appreciation  from  a 
conscientiously  nandled  and  well 
satisfied  patient  never  made  me  mad 
yet.  Possibly  a  little  of  the  same 
thing  from  a  customer  of  yours 
won't  hurt  your  business  feelings 
any.  Six  months  ago  I  bought 
your  Manual.  Before  that  I  knew 
as  much  about  breeding  squabs  as 
you  do  about  medicine,  and  prob- 
ably less.  After  reading  it  over 
three  times  I  ordered  three  pairs 
of  Extra  Plymouth  Rock  Homers, 
which  arrived  April  14,  1911.  1. 
From  these -three  pairs  in  just  six 
months  I  got  the  following  results, 
viz:  Seven  and  a  half  pairs  killed 
for  personal  use  and  sale,  one  and 
a  half  pairs  banded,  two  pairs  eggs 
in  nest  now,  besides  one  egg  broken 
in  two  different  nests,  and  parent 
birds  deserted  nests.  2.  From  six 
pairs  Extra  Homers  bought  of  you 
May  4,  1911:  Twelve  and  a  half 


SPLENDID  MACHINE  FOR  THOSE  WHO 
SELL  SQUABS  AT  LESS  THAN  COST,  by 
Percy  Perkins.  Every  squab  breeder  should 
make  use  of  cheap  and  simple  appliances  to 
help  him  in  his  work.  A  little  ingenuity  in 
such  matters  will  save  him  considerable  ex- 
pense. I  send  herewith  a  sketch  of  a  little 
device  which  I  find  exceedingly  useful  in 
producing  animation  in  the  breeder.  It  stimu- 
lates the  thought  cells  and,  incidentally, 
humiliates  the  spirit.  I  have  found  it  helpful 
in  cases  like  the  following,  for  example.  Our 
butcher  called  me  on  the  telephone  and  said 
he  would  buy  a  few  dozen  squabs  if  the  price 
was  right.  I  asked  him  what  he  considered 
the  right  price.  He  replied  in  turn  by  asking 
me  what  it  cost  me  to  raise  a  dozen  squabs. 
As  I  have  not  raised  any  yet,  I  was  in  some 
doubt,  not  to  say  perplexity,  but  I  promptly 
rejoined  that  each  batch  cost  me,  as  near  as  I 
could  figure,  about  two  dollars  a  dozen.  There- 
upon he  said  he  would  give  me  $2.10  a 
dozen,  which  would  allow  me  a  profit  of  five 
per  cent,  which  is  more  than  government 
bonds  pay.  I  told  him  his  argument  was 
good  and  that  I  would  accept  and  give  him  a 
few  dozen  at  his  price.  He  asked  how  soon 
I  could  send  them  and  I  was  obliged  to  reply 
that  I  would  not  have  any  ready  for  market 
until  probably  about  February,  1912,  as  I 
was  experimenting  with  a  lot  of  young  birds 
and  wondering  how  many  cocks  and  hens 
there  were,  and  when  it  would  be  likely  that 
they  might  reach  adult  age.  He  hung  up 
the  receiver  with  a  fearful  oath  and  I  then 
repaired  to  the  corner  of  the  squabhouse 
where  I  have  my  machine  set  up,  and  exercised 
violently  with  it  for  half  an  hour,  to  remove 
the  vexation  caused  by  my  failure  to  make 
that  five  per  cent  profit.  I  think  the  price 
the  butcher  offered  me  was  a  very  fair  one, 
as  it  would  have  enabled  me  to  see  several 
dollars  which  I  could  view  in  no  other  way. 


pairs  killed,  two  and  a  half  pairs 
banded,  two  pairs  eggs  deserted, 
one  pair  in  nest.  3.  From  six  pairs  bought 
of  you  June  8,  1911 :  Nine  pairs  killed,  one  and 
a  half  pairs  banded,  one  pair  eggs  deserted, 
one  pair  in  nest.  For  the  squabs  killed  I 
have  received  on  an  average  one  dollar  per 
pair.  The  squabs  I  banded  were  all  very 
large.  Kept  and  moved  to  a  separate  pen  to 
mate  and  save  for  breeders.  I  have  fed  whole 
corn,  kaffir  corn,  red  wheat,  cracked  corn, 
Canada  peas,  barley,  and  twice  a  week  rice  and 
hempseed,  feeding  twice  daily,  except  when  I 
didn't  get  home  before  dark,  which  happens 
about  twice  a  week.  My  birds  have  had  no 
lice  or  disease,  and  are  strong  and  vigorous. 
The  house  is  cleaned  weekly,  and  they  have  a 
bath  in  the  middle  of  every  pleasant  day,  also 
a  constant  supply  of  rock  salt,  fresh  water,  hard 
grit  and  fine  oyster  shell.  Average  time  I 
spend  every  day  is  about  ten  minutes  morning 
and  afternoon,  feeding  and  watering,  and  two 
hours  once  a  week  cleaning  squabhouse.  This 
is  a  greenhorn  record  of  a  small  squab  plant 
that  is  a  source  of  recreation  and  pleasure,  and 
a  fair  return  to  a  man  who  is  decidedly  not  mak- 
ing a  business  of  squab  raising.  If  my  birds 
go  through  the  winter  safely,  I  shall  give  you 
a  good  order  in  the  spring,  for  I  can  handle  three 
times  as  many  as  I  have  now  with  little  or  no 
more  demand  upon  my  time. — Dr.  Howell  S. 
Bontecou,  New  York. 

Your  Manual  has  been  of  the  greatest  assist- 
ance to  me,  and  since  adopting  your  methods 
and  style  of  housing,  a  great  improvement 
has  taken  place  in  my  pigeons,  although  I 
am  anxious  as  soon  as  possible  to  get  some  of 
your  birds,  as  the  demand  for  squabs  is  grow- 
ing here,  and  will  be  just  as  profitable  here  in 
the  course  of  a  year  or  two  as  in  America.  I 
have  the  best  birds  it  is  possible  to  get  here. 
I  have  170  pairs  with  accommodations  for  400 
pairs.  I  want  to  send  for  some  of  your  stock. 
— D.  R.  MacDonald,  Australia. 


APPENDIX  G 


389 


HOW  A  MARYLAND  WOMAN  COOKS 
SQUABS,  by  Mrs.  Clara  M.  Hodson.  I 

recently  furnished  the  squabs  and  recipe  for 
preparing  them  for  a  spring  luncheon.  I 
cannot  always  fill  my  orders  for  fresh  birds. 
Here  are'two  of  my  squab  recipes: 

Grandma's  Pigeon  Pie. 

When  I  was  a  little  girl,  I  went  from  the  city 
every  summer  to  visit  my  grandparents,  living 
on  a  large  farm  on  a  beautiful  river  in  Mary- 
land. There  was  an  old  mill  on  this  place  of 
the  Dutch  type  of  wind  gristmills.  It  had 
gone  to  decay  and  become  a  rookery  or  pigeon 
loft.  I  would  climb  up  and  gather  the  young 
squabs  in  a  basket  and  take  them  to  my  grand- 
mother, and  then  we  would  anxiously  await 
dinner.  This  is  the  way  she  made  it:  After 
the  bird  had  been  shorn  of  feathers  and  drawn, 
it  was  split  down  the  back  with  a  sharp  knife 
and  pressed  flat,  or  cut  in  half,  as  many  pre- 
ferred half  a  bird,  and  it  serves  better.  Placing 
the  birds  in  a  large  stewing  kettle,  she  covered 
them  with  water,  cut  up  a  very  small  onion, 
and  a  tablespoonful  of  minced  parsley.  This 
she  added  with  salt,  and  a  tiny  piece  of  red 
pepper  pod,  to  the  cooking  birds,  about  ten 
or  fifteen  minutes  cooking. 

Having  made  a  nice  pastry,  she  lined  a  large 
round  baking  pan  with  it,  and  put  in  the  birds 
and  stock.  Adding  a  large  lump  of  butter,  half 
a  cup  of  flour  for  thickening,  and  a  cupful  of 
rich  milk  or  cream,  she  would  cover  the  whole 
with  fine  pastry,  touching  here  and  there  with  a 
little  butter,  and  bake  until  it  was  a  golden 
brown,  serving  very  hot  at  the  midday  dinner 
with  fresh  vegetables  and  plenty  of  fruit. 
About  it  there  are  pleasant  memories. 

Roast  Squab  with  Peas. 

Select  medium-sized,  fat  squabs,  draw  and 
wash  thoroughly,  cleansing  the  mouth  and  bill 
carefully.  Tuck  the  head  under  the  left  wing, 
bending  wings  close  to  the  sides  of  the  birds. 
Make  an  incision  in  which  to  tuck  the  legs, 
after  cutting  off  the  feet.  Stuff  the  birds  with 
minced  celery  (or  minced  celery  and  bread- 
crumbs), salt  and  pepper  birds  and  rub  with 
butter  and  a  little  flour.  Place  them  in  a 
shallow  baking  pan  with  just  enough  water  to 
keep  them  from  burning,  and  roast  about 
twenty  minutes  in  a  hot  oven,  frequently  bast- 
ing with  the  juices  drawn  from  the  birds.  Serve 
whole  or  individual  plates  with  a  garnish  of 
water  cress  and  two  tablespoonfuls  of  sifted 
or  very  small  peas.  Celery  gives  the  flavor  of 
the  canvasback  duck  to  the  squab,  and  the 
whole  makes  a  very  acceptable  spring  luncheon. 

Question:  Please  tell  me  the  proper  propor- 
tion of  grain  to  feed  my  pigeons,  so  as  to  obtain 
the  largest  squabs.  My  squabs  although  they 
have  been  as  large  as  a  pound  apiece  when 
four  weeks  old,  now  scarcely  weigh  half  of  that. 
Answer:  The  feed  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with 
the  weight  of  the  squabs.  If  your  squabs  are 
running  light,  you  should  cut  down  your 
wheat  and  feed  more  coin,  Canada  peas  and 
bread  crumbs,  all  of  which  are  fattening. 


HOW  I  STARTED  A  BOYS'  PIGEON 
CLUB,  by  Reuben  Brigham.  Knowing  how 
much  pigeons  have  meant  to  me,  I  have  been 
always  glad  to  help  other  boys  to  learn  to  care 
for  them  and  stick  to  them.  About  a  year  ago, 
the  pigeon  craze  struck  the  boys  in  this  Mary- 
land neighborhood,  and  I  helped  organize  the 
Sandy  Spring  Pigeon  Club  with  thirteen  charter 
members,  all  being  boys  under  twenty-one 
excepting  myself.  Our  object  was  "to  encour- 
age the  keeping  of  pigeons  in  this  neighbor- 
hood and  to  promote  the  more  intelligent  and 
profitable  care  of  those  already  in  our  posses- 
sion." We  agreed  to  meet  every  other  Friday 
night  and  to  admit  only  bona  fide  pigeon 
keepers.  Strangely  enough,  after  the  first  en- 
thusiasm waned,  the  attendance  and  interest 
continued  and  it  is  rare  that  more  than  one  or 
two  members  are  absent.  Minutes  are  read, 
short  papers  are  written  and  delivered,  and  pig- 
eon papers  subscribed  to  and  studied. 

MUSLIN  WINDOWS  FOR  ME,  NO  GLASS, 

by  W.  E.  Blakslee.  Last  fall  we  put  up  on  our 
new  mountain  site  a  building  for  our  Plymouth 
Rock  squab  breeders,  two  hundred  feet  long, 
twenty-four  feet  wide,  with  a  four-foot  wide 
alleyway  lengthwise  in  the  center.  Over  this 
alleyway  the  whole  length  of  the  building  is  a 
1  antern  with  windows  in  its  sides.  All  the  doors 
for  the  pens  are  only  frames.  The  ones  on  the 
alleyway  are  covered  with  wire.  The  outside 
ones  opening  into  the  flying  yards  are  covered 
with  muslin.  The  windows  in  the  lantern  are 
also  frames  covered  with  muslin.  At  each  end 
of  the  alleyway  is  a  tight-boarded  door  swing 
ing  out  for  winter  use,  and  a  wired  frame  door 
swinging  in  for  summer  use.  The  way  the 
doors  and  windows  are  arranged  makes  sure 
of  no  direct  circulation  across  the  nestboxec. 
There  are  no  drafts  from  the  use  of  muslin ,  but 
we  do  plan  not  to  have  any  direct  line  of  circula- 
tion across  the  nests.  Our  building  is  on  posts 
six  feet  above  the  ground.  The  floor  is  double 
boarded  with  paper  between.  This  gives  a 
thorough  ventilation  underneath  and  the  whole 
building  is  perfectly  free  from  any  ground 
dampness  whatever. 

Just  two  years  ago  I  bought  four  pairs  of 
Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and  ten  pairs  of  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Carneaux.  I  have  thirty-five 
pairs  of  Homers  (sold  all  the  rest  for  squabs) 
and  four  hundred  Carneaux — sold  seventy- 
three.  So  you  can  see  that  for  a  beginner  I 
have  done  fairly  well.  I  never  have  sold  a 
squab  for  less  than  twenty-five  cents,  and  never 
had  enough  of  them  to  supply  my  neighbors. 
I  have  just  bought  five  acres  and  hope  to  build 
up  a  good  business.  Will  want  more  birds 
before  the  first  of  the  year. — W.  C.  Barrett, 
California. 

Have  some  cards  printed  with  "  Eat  Squabs 
and  Stay  Young  "  on  them.  Send  these  to  all 
the  women  in  town  who  are  financially  able 
to  eat  such;  and  explain  in  brief  why  squabs 
are  the  best  meat.  Be  sure  that  you  have  an 
extra  supply  on  hand  when  you  do  this. 


300 


APPENDIX  G 


MR.  STEWARD  AND  HIS  BIG  PLYMOUTH  ROCK  HOMERS. 


SQUAB    BREEDING    FOR 
HOME  MAN,  by  Charles  E.  Steward. 


A    STAY-AT- 

Three 

years  ago  today  I  was  stricken  with  heart 
trouble  and  not  being  able  to  do  any  work 
of  any  account,  I  sat  around  the  house  and 
did  nothing  but  worry  about  my  trouble  so 
I  thought  I  would  get  a  few  pairs  of  Homers 
to  keep  my  mind  occupied.  I  sent  to  Boston 
for  twenty-five  pairs  of  Homers  and  one  pair 
of  Carneaux.  Today  I  have  two  hundred 
Homers  and  twenty  Carneaux.  Last  summer 
I  kept  eighty  youngsters  for  breeders,  all 
banded,  and  left  them  to  choose  mates  for 
themselves.  Out  of  the  eighty  I  got  thirty- 
seven  pairs  and  six  odd  mates.  The  best 
part  of  it  was  there  were  no  nestmates  that 
went  together.  I  put  twenty-five  pairs  of 
these  young  birds  in  a  pen  by  themselves. 
Today,  June  21,  I  counted  forty-eight  young 
ones  and  nineteen  eggs.  This  shows  triat 
some  birds  have  both  young  and  eggs.  Can 
any  one  beat  it?  This  shows  that  it  pays  to 
buy  good  stock  to  start  with.  As  squab 
breeders  I  think  the  Plymouth  Rock  Homers 
can  not  be  beat  (if  they  have  the  attention). 
My  birds  get  fresh  water  twice  a  day  and  all 
the  green  stuff  they  will  eat,  such  as  lettuce, 
horseradish  leaves  and  dandelion.  For  nesting 
material  I  use  tobacco  stems  and  hay  cut  about 
six  inches  long.  I  notice  that  when  you  use 
only  tobacco  stems  they  become  hard  and 
dry  in  the  nests  and  when  a  bird  happens  to 
bear  much  weight  on  the  eggs  you  will  find  a 
good  many  eggs  broken  with  a  little  dent  or 
crack,  and  won't  hatch.  This  is  because  there 


is  no  "give  "in  the  tobacco 
stems.  When  it  is  dry,  mix 
hay  or  straw  with  your  tobacco 
stems  and  see  if  you  haven't 
less  broken  eggs. 

My  first  squabs  I  sold  all 
sizes  for  $3  per  dozen.  I  am 
now  selling  eight-pound  squabs 
at  $5,  nine-pound  squabs  at 
$6,  twelve-pound  squabs  at  $8 
per  dozen,  less  express  and  com- 
mission. I  have  nothing  in  my 
pens  breeding  less  than  six  pairs 
per  year,  averaging  nine  to 
twelve  pounds  per  dozen.  The 
Carneau-Homer  cross  makes  a 
large  squab,  also  Maltese- 
Homer,  but  I  would  not  like  to 
keep  them  for  breeders  because 
a  well-established  bleed  is  so 
much  more  reliable  in  reproduc- 
ing its  characteristics. — Mrs.  W. 
A.  Roth,  Indiana. 

I  have  been  in  the  squab 
business  for  some  time  and  have 
done  fairly  well,  but  after  visit- 
ing a  number  of  small  plants 
find  they  all  use  the  Plymouth 
Rock  Homers.  Now  what  I 
want  to  know  is  if  ycu  will  trade 
me  Extra  Homers  for  forty  or 
fifty  pairs  of  red  and  splashed 
Carneaux,  most  of  the  Carneaux  I  have 
being  from  parent  stock  that  came  from 
you  and  bought  by  a  doctor  of  my  town.  I 
want  to  put  in  these  two  pens  and  buy  them, 
and  if  satisfactory  I  will  sell  my  other  breeds 
and  replace  with  your  Homers.  One  of  your 
customers  was  at  my  house  last  evening  and  he 
told  me  that  your  Homers  are  certainly  first 
class,  and  of  course  I  want  the  best. — Georg 
Sisco,  New  Jersey. 

HOW  I  SAVE  MONEY  BY  FEEDING 
BREAD,  by  Charlton  Green.  I  have  been 
feeding  bakers'  discarded  bread,  crushed  dry 
or  moistened.  The  pigeons  like  clean  bread 
and  white  bread  better  than  rye  bread. 
Besides  bread,  I  feed  about  half  a  pound  of 
Indian  corn  each  day.  I  find  the  bread  an 
excellent  feed  for  squabs  that  are  just  out  of 
the  nest.  They  learn  to  eat  it  much  quicker 
and  easier  than  they  do  grain.  I  have  noticed 
squabs  in  nests  with  it  also.  I  believe  it  is 
as  good  for  squabs  in  nest  as  it  is  for  the  older 
squabs  or  youngsters.  I  don't  believe  a  better 
feed  could  be  fed  to  youngsters.  The  bread 
costs  me  one  cent  a  loaf,  or  from  $1.00  to  $1.10 
per  one  hundred  pounds. 

Take  a  piece  of  paper,  wrap  it  around  a 
pencil,  glue  and  pull  the  pencil  out,  dip  the 
paper  in  pulverized  sulphur,  hold  the  mouth 
of  the  bird  open  with  thumb  and  first  finger, 
and  blow  the  contents  down  the  bird's  neck 
once  a  day  for  a  day  or  two,  and  the  canker  is 
gone. — Harry  Wesner,  Pennsylvania. 


rge 


APPENDIX   G 


391 


PEA  VINES  ARE  BEST  NESTING  MA- 
TERIAL, by  C.  S.  Persons.  In  nesting 
material  I  have  used  nearly  everything,  and  I 
have  found  that  the  common  pea  vines  which 
every  one  raises  in  gardens  and  throws  away 
or  burns  are  their  choice.  They  will  leave  any- 
thing else  for  them.  After  I  have  used  the 
peas  I  pull  up  the  vines  and  thoroughly  dry 
them,  then  cut  them  in  lengths  of  about  six 
inches,  leaving  as  many  of  the  leaves  on  as 
will  stay.  Sweet  pea  vines  are  equally  as 
good. 

In  regard  to  green  food,  clover,  lettuce  and 
Swiss  chard  are  their  favorites  and  a  fine  tonic 
as  well.  A  ten-cent  package  of  Swiss  chard 
(or  cut-and-come-again  spinach)  will  feed  seven 
hundred  birds  from  June  until  the  third  or 
fourth  frost,  as  it  is  very  hardy.  They  will  pick 
the  stems  clean  and  leave  only  the  stalks.  I 
feed  lettuce  the  year  round,  in  winter  buying 
it  by  the  crate  once  a  week.  I  feed  clover 
through  the  summer. 

With  regard  to  a  market  for  squabs,  the 
Chicago  commission  men  are  paying  from 
$2.75  to  $3.25.  I  do  not  blame  the  commis- 
sion men  for  buying  at  these  figures  but  I  do 
blame  the  producer  for  selling,  for  with  every- 
thing as  high  as  it  now  is,  and  after  deducting 
express  charges  and  labor,  what  has  the  breeder 
made?  He  has  simply  lost  money,  and  the 
commission  man  is  getting  the  benefit  of  the 
failure  to  hustle. 

HOW  TO  WASH  OUT  THE  SQUABS' 
CROPS,  by  Henry  Blake.  A  handy  and  quick 
way  for  cleaning  the  grain  out  of  crops  when 
washing  squabs  is  easily  arranged  if  you  have 
piped  water  supply.  Have  a  fitting  made  to 
screw  on  the  bib-cock.  One  can  go  to  the  ex- 
pense of  having  a  special  fitting  made.  A 
cheap  way  is  to  tinker  one  up  by  using  an  old 
hose  coupling.  Solder  a  piece  of  bent  small 
tubing  into  it. 

To  use  it,  hold  the  bird's  head  down,  putting 
its  mouth  over  the  tube,  set  the  water  running 
slowly,  work  the  bird  up  and  down  a  few  times, 
so  the  tube  goes  well  up  into  the  crop,  and  the 
job  is  done.  If  one  does  not  have  the  water 
pipe,  he  can  use  an  elevated  reservoir  either 
hung  up  or  put  up  on  a  bracket. 

I  stew  squabs  until  tender  and  done,  in 
water  seasoned  with  salt  and  pepper  to  taste. 
I  bake  biscuits  a  delicate  brown  at  the  same 
time,  being  careful  not  to  make  them  too 
thick.  Take  up  the  meat,  add  a  little  milk  to 
the  soup,  being  careful  not  to  put  in  enough 
to  weaken  it,  add  salt,  butter  and  pepper  to 
taste;  thicken  with  flour,  making  a  medium 
thick  gravy.  Split  the  hot  biscuits  and  add 
to  this  hot  gravy.  When  well  saturated  take 
up  and  place  hot  squabs  on  top.  Serve.  De- 
licious! I  have  used  in  this  way,  too,  rabbits 
and  chickens. — Mrs.  Dora  B.  Badger,  Washing- 
ton. 

Do  not  keep  extra  small  squabs  for  breeders 
just  because  their  parents  are  fine  birds  —  all 
birds  will  raise  offs  sometimes. 


NOT  TRUE  TO  COLOR,  by  Ralph  Walker. 

I  have  a  pair  of  Homers,  the  male  -bjeing  pure 
white,  and  the  female  black  all  Wer  except 
one  white  feather  in  the  back  and  a  few  on  each 
leg.  I  have  had  only  one  pair  of.  §guabs  from 
them  that  were  of  the  exact  color  of- th"e  par-. 
ents,  and  they  were  of  different  hatchings.. 
Even  then  the  male  was  white  and  the  female 
black.  Among  the  pigeons  raised. from  them 
I  have  had  the  following  color  eStobLnations: 
Dark  brown,  female;  several  light  .ted  pigeons, 
both  sexes;  heavy  booted,  solid  silver  female; 
black  with  white  on  tips  of  wings  and  at  base 
of  tail  and  various  other  places,  both  sexes; 
light  brown  with  dark  brown  bars,  female;  and 
also  a  big  dark  blue  cock  with  a  shiny  red  blue 
breast.  Don't  you  think  this  is  a  pretty  good 
color  combination? 

Question:  Of  v/hat  value  are  pigeon  fair? 
and  exhibitions  in  advertising  to  sell  breeding;' 
stock?  Are  the  money  prizes  enough  induce^* 
ment  to  go  to  the  expense  of  exhibiting?  An- 
swer: The  value  of  pigeon  and  poultry  exhibi- 
tions as  an  advertising  medium  is  something 
to  the  breeder  who  relies  for  sales  on  persons 
who  come  to  visit  him  and  look  at  his  stock, 
but  such  results'  are  practically  nothing  in 
comparison  to  the  results  obtained  from  peri- 
odical and  newspaper  advertising.  Pigeon 
and  poultry  shows  are  an  interesting  neighbor- 
hood enjoyment,  bringing  good  stock  of  each 
section  together  for  comparison  and  gossip.- 
The  money  prizes  are  never  of  themselves  of- 
any  particular  value,  certainly  not  enough  to 
recompense  one  for  the  time  and  effort  ex- 
pended. One  should  go  into  a  poultry  and 
pigeon  show  with  the  idea  of  making  a  week  of 
enjoyment  for  himself  and  his  family,  meeting 
others,  seeing  what  they  are  doing,  etc.,  but 
not  with  the  idea  of  making  himself  rich  or 
famous,  for  that  never  is  accomplished  by 
exhibitions  alone. 

Question:  I  have  been  reading  a  story 
written  by  a  woman  who  lost  money  raising 
poultry  and  squabs  and  her  figures  of  produc- 
tion do  not  agree  with  those  given  in  a  bulletin 
which  I  have.  Answer:  That  is  why  she  failed. 
It  is  always  assumed,  in  such  writings,  that, 
intelligence,  skill  and  industry  are  factors,  but 
one  who  fails  in  these  branches  is  seldom  either 
intelligent,  skilful  or  industrious. 

I  have  benefited  much  from  the  Magazine 
and  am  selling  my  own  squabs  to  private  trade 
for  fifty  cents  each,  dressing  five  cents  extra, 
and  ten  cents  for  delivery;  Carneaux  squabs 
one  dollar  each,  and  have  all  I  can  do.  Ply- 
mouth Rock  stock.— Miss  Marion  S.  Baker, 
Massachusetts. 

The  general  wholesale  quotations  on  squabs 
here  (San  Francisco)  range  from  $3.00  to 
$3.50  per  dozen,  although  some  extra  large 
would  bring  $3.75.  They  can  be  handled 
better  alive  than  dressed  at  present.  Trade 
would  prefer  to  do  their  own  dressing. — Har- 
baugh  &  Co.  (Wholesale  Dealers),  California. 


392 


APPENDIX  G 


A  PEN  OF  FIRST-CLASS  HOMERS. 


SQUAB  COST  AND  PROFIT,  by  H.  C. 

Frankforter.  For  the  last  few  years  I  and  a 
friend  of  mine  have  been  raising  squabs  and 
find  that  there  is  profit  as  well  as  pleasure  de- 
rived from  them.  We  buy  feed  from  a  Balti- 
more firm  which  costs  us  till  we  get  the  freight 
paid  $2.25  a  hundredweight.  We  have  tried  it 
on  a  separate  pair  of  Homers  and  find  that  they 
ate  nine  cents  worth  of  the  feed  from  the  day 
the  young  were  hatched  until  they  were  salable, 
so  we  made  it  fifteen  cents  for  labor,  feed  and 
health  grit.  We  receive  from  $3  to  $3.25  a 
dozen  for  our  squabs,  so  you  can  see  that  the 
profit  would  be  from  thirty  to  forty  cents  on 
one  pair  of  squabs. 

"  Market  reports  "  are  generally  furnished  to 
the  newspapers  by  the  produce  exchanges  and 
in  every  case  are  not  a  record  of  true  transac- 
tions, as  are  the  stock  exchange  reports,  but 
are  the  lowest  prices  which  the  members  of 
these  exchanges  hope  to  pay  for  chickens, 
squabs,  fruit,  potatoes,  etc.  If  you  live  in  a 
city  where  such  inspired  quotations  for  eatables 
are  being  printed,  write  to  the  editor  and  tell 
him  that  as  a  subscriber  to  his  paper  you  object 
to  such  information  as  being  misleading  and 
untruthful,  and  published  in  the  interest  of  the 
marketmen,  with  no  thought  of  the  producer. 
This  will  help  to  bring  about  a  much  needed 
reform.  Not  every  newspaper  will  stand  for 
such  "  market  reports  "  nonsense.  The  best 
send  out  a  man  or  woman  reporter  to  shop  and 
write  what  they  find.  Prices  of  eatables  ob- 
tained in  any  other  way  are  inaccurate  and 
false.  If  there  are  any  squab  or  chicken  breed- 
ers who  are  fooled  into  selling  at  such  low  prices 
simply  because  they  have  seen  those  quotations 
"in  print,"  they  ought  to  have  "a  guardian. 
Get  your  retail  prices  by  actual  shopping  and 
then  make  a  fair  deduction  to  get  at  the  whole- 
sale prices. 


DURABLE  WHITEWASH.  A  whitewash 
adopted  by  the  United  States  Government  and 
used  for  coating  light-houses  and  keepers' 
dwellings,  is  composed  as  follows:  To  ten 
parts  of  freshly  slaked  lime  add  one  part  of 
best  hydraulic  cement.  Mix  well  with  salt 
water.  This  whitewash  when  properly  mixed 
and  applied,  produces  a  clear  white  that  does 
not  easily  rub  or  wash  off. 

I  sell  all  my  squabs  to  private  families  and 
sell  all  I  raise.  In  winter  time  the  prices  run 
from  $4.50  to  $5.50,  in  summer  $3.50  to  $4.50. 
Every  Tuesday  morning  I  "phone  to  every 
customer  one  after  another  until  I  have  my 
forty-seven  customers  called,  and  then  I  have  a 
boy  hired  to  deliver  the  squabs.  I  have  a  one- 
horse  wagon,  painted  orange  color,  trimmed 
black,  and  have  a  very  showy  horse,  which 
makes  a  good  appearance.  It  looks  very  tidy. 
I  feed  a  mixed  ration  which  I  buy  for  $28  a 
ton.  I  sold  over  5700  squabs  last  year,  took 
in  $1575,  cleared  about  $1000.  Not  so  bad  for 
the  boy  and  me. — J.  M.  Shellenberger,  Penn- 
sylvania. 

I  inquired  the  retail  price  of  dressed  squabs 
of  Robert  Barren ,  a  Yonge  Street  fish  and  game 
dealer  of  Toronto.  He  informed  me  that  the 
price  was  fifty  cents  each,  or  $6  a  dozen.  Mr. 
Shelts  sells  his  squabs  to  the  dealer  whom  I 
mention  at  $4  a  dozen.  There  is  a  large  de- 
mand for  squabs  in  Toronto,  as  it  is  a  city  of 
400,000  people. — Charles  Watson,  Ontario. 

During  the  past  fourteen  years  I  have  had 
considerable  experience,  always  as  a  side  line, 
in  selling  eatables  to  family  trade,  and  the  only 
way  I  ever  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  customer 
was  to  go  right  after  them.  The  personal 
face-to-face  interview  captures  the  trade. — 
Raymond  W.  Dotts,  Pennsylvania, 


APPENDIX  G 


393 


I  FEED  A  GREAT  DEAL  OF  SWISS 
CHARD,  by  Hugh  Steele.  The  market  here 
(Kansas)  is  not  very  good  yet,  but  is  improving. 
I  think  a  few  good  marketmen  would  make  it 
the  equal  of  any,  as  with  all  the  large  cities 
surrounding  us,  and  very  strict  game  laws 
being  made,  the  demand  is  sure  to  come  very 
fast.  Our  grain  market  is  rather  high :  wheat 
ninety  cents,  corn  eighty  cents,  kaffir  $1.50 
per  hundred.  Canada  peas  cost  about  $2  per 
bushel  here  and  hemp  sixteen  pounds  for  $1. 
I  feed  a  great  deal  of  Swiss  chard,  which  seems 
to  be  relished  very  much.  A  small  bed  will 
supply  a  large  flock,  as  it  is  a  very  rank  grower. 

GOOD  SQUAB  DEMAND  AROUND 
PITTSBURG,  by  James  G.  Bennett.  It  costs 
me  about  $1.40  here  (Pennsylvania)  to  feed  a 
pair  of  breeding  pigeons  that  raise  from  eight 
to  ten  pairs  of  squabs  a  year.  That  is  the  cost 
with  good  feed.  Do  not  ever  feed  old  or  musty 
grain.  In  their  free  state,  pigeons  can  select 
a  variety  of  grain  and  seeds,  but  when  they 
are  kept  in  flying  pens,  they  must,  of  course,  take 
what  they  aie  given.  While  you  may  have 
seeming  success  for  a  time  feeding  only  cracked 
corn  and  wheat  or  any  other  two  grains  selected, 
yet  a  long  continued  feeding  of  such  invariably 
fails  to  produce  as  many  or  as  good  squabs  as 
when  a  properly  balanced  ration  is  provided. 
Always  nave  oyster-shell  and  the  best  of  grit 
before  them,  and  I  find  it  very  healthful  to  mix 
a  little  air-slaked  lime  and  Venetian  red  with 
their  grit.  The  lime  sweetens  their  crops  and 


helps  the  same  as  oyster-shell  in  producing  eggs. 
I  find  kerosene  oil  and  turpentine  in  equal  parts 
good  f9r  canker,  two  or  three  drops  to  a  dose. 
There  is  a  fine  outlet  for  squabs  in  this  section, 


Pittsburg  being  the  main  market.  In  fact  all 
along  the  three  rivers  here  there  is  a  good  sale 
for  squabs,  as  there  are  so  many  hotels  and 
clubhouses.  The  supply  cannot  more  than 
half  meet  the  demand.  The  price  paid  by  the 
wholesalers  in  Pittsburg  is  $5.25  a  dozen  for 
twelve-pounds-to-the-dozen  squabs. 

ONE    BOY'S    WORK,    by   Roland    Ralph. 

There  is  not  a  very  good  squab  market  in 
Richmond,  Va.,  but  I  can  make  two  hundred 
pairs  pay  me  a  good  profit.  I  have  made 
twelve  hundred  dollars  clear  profit  out  of  three 
chicken  incubators,  twenty-two  turkeys  and 
a  small  root  beer  plant  on  two  acres  of  ground, 
which  father  gave  me,  and  I  worked  only  after 
school  and  vacation  time. 

I  am  situated  near  the  city  of  Chicago,  and  I 
think  I  have  a  golden  opportunity  facing  me. 
Upon  having  a  personal  interview  with  a  stew- 
ard of  a  certain  hotel  in  Chicago,  I  was  informed 
that  squabs  were  as  high  as  $7.50  per  dozen  this 
summer.  The  commission  merchants  were 
paying  $3.50  last  week.— W.  G.  Puls,  Illinois. 

I  bought  thirteen  pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers,  part  of  them  a  little  over  a  year  ago, 
and  the  others  will  be  two  years  this  fall.  I  now 
(June,  1910)  have  250  all  told. — R.  C.  Brenmer, 

Til- •„ 


HOMERS  BREED  BETTER  IN  DARK- 
ENED PEN,  by  Richard  L.  Fishburne.  I  have 
found  by  experience  that  my  breeders  do  better 
work  in  a  loft  slightly  darkened.  My  build- 
ings face  south,  are  10xl5x  10  feet,  with  a 
fly  about  the  same  size  for  each  pen. '  Around 
the  fly  I  have  planted  sunflowers  and  sweet 
peas  which  add  to  the  attractiveness  of  the 
place,  at  the  same  time  affording  shade  for 
the  birds,  keep  dampness  from  the  fly  and  loft 
and  give  me  a  quantity  of  feed.  Once  each 
week  my  lofts  are  scraped  and  sprayed  with 
a  ten  per  cent  solution  of  creolin,  and  air-slaked 
lime  scattered  on  the  floors.  A  few  applica- 
tions of  this  solution  will  soon  saturate  the 
wood  and  positively  prevent  any  lice  in  the 
lofts.  About  once  or  twice  a  week  in  the  sum- 
mer I  use  a  small  quantity  of  creolin  in  the 
bath  water  and  in  spraying  any  birds  or  squabs 
that  are  near,  spray  without  injury  or  frighten- 
ing them. 

The  reason  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  are  so' 
popular  is  that  the  squabs  they  produce  are 
good  enough  for  any  market.  In  many  hands, 
skilful  in  feeding  and  selection,  they  do  the 
work  of  more  expensive  breeds  costing  three 
times  as  much,  and  more.  We  have  a  letter 
dated  August  23  from  a  customer  in  Connecti- 
cut, .John  N.  Moeller  by  name,  stating:  "I 
intend  to  purchase  a  piece  of  property  and  erect 
a  large  plant  arid  buy  stock  of  you  as  soon  as  I 
find  a  satisfactory  place  to  sell  squabs  in  large 
lots,  and  regularly.  As  already  stated  in 
previous  correspondence,  /  have  raised  twenty 
squabs  from  three  pairs  since  March  12,  1910, 
and  every  one  weighed  one  pound  alive  at  four 
•weeks  of  age."  Mr.  Moeller  does  not  say  that 
some  weigh  a  pound  apiece,  or  that  the  average 
weight  of  his  squabs  is  one  pound.  He  states 
that  every  one  -weighed  one  pound.  This  is 
twelve  pounds  to  the  dozen.  The  sales  of  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Homers  are  many  times  more  than 
all  other  pigeons  combined. 

As  we  have  before  written,  always  remem- 
ber that  prices  of  pigeons  mean  nothing  with- 
out service.  We  throw  out  twenty-five  per 
cent  of  all  our  pigeons,  sending  them  in  as  culls 
to  market,  where  we  get  only  the  eating  price. 
We  don't  put  them  into  shipments  and  expect 
the  customer  to  throw  them  out.  Moreover, 
we  don't  keep  our  best  pigeons.  Every  bird 
on  our  farm  is  for  sale.  Anybody  who  calls 
there  and  fancies  a  bird  can  take  it  away  with 
him  in  a  coop  and  we're  glad  to  see  it  go. 

My  present  squab  plant  consists  of  300  pairs 
Homers,  and  a  few  larger  breeders,  but  no  Car- 
neaux.  I  have  been  visiting  various  squab 
plants  in  the  country,  and  know  what  a  good 
Carneau  is  supposed  to  look  like.  Most  oi 
the  Carneaux  that  I  have  seen  do  not  come  up 
to  what  I  call  good  Carneaux.  The  best  that 
I  have  set  my  eyes  on  so  far  are  those  owned  by 
M.  C.  Martin,  and  he  told  me  that  they  were 
from  you.  Enclosed  you  will  find  a  bank  draft 
for  which  please  send  me  the  eleven  pairs  of 
Carneaux  under  the  conditions  stated. — J.  E. 
Unruh,  Kansas. 


394 


APPENDIX  G 


MY  PLANT  MAKES  $100 
MONTHLY  PROFIT,  by  W. 
A.  Bolton.  The  Sunny  Slope 
Squab  Farm  is  shown  in  the 
accompanying  photograph. 
The  writer  having  been  inter- 
ested in  pigeons  since  his 
school  days,  when  he  kept  a 
few  for  pets,  resolved  in  1908 
to  make  it  a  business  and  made 
his  first  mistake  by  sending  to 
Europe  for  his  Carneaux  and 
Homers,  several  hundred  of 
them,  with  the  result  that  about 
half  of  the  birds  died  en  route, 
or  just  after  they  arrived.  They 
are  splendid  birds  and  after  a 
few  months  became  recuperated 
and  acclimated  and  proceeded 
to  do  their  best,  but  if  they 
had  come  from  good  reliable 
home  breeders  or  eastern 
breeders,  the  results  would 
doubtless  have  been  much  more 
satisfactory.  Last  year  the 
plant  practically  paid  for  it- 
self. Today  there  are  about  1400  birds  at  March  3,  $5,  $6;  March  19,  $4.50,  $6;  March 
work,  and  taking  care  of  some  1400  more  24,  $5,  $6;  March  31,  $5,  $6;  April  7,  $5,  $6; 
young  and  old  that  will  soon  be  at  work,  April  14,  $4.50,  $6;  April  21,  $4,  $6;  April  28, 
besides  netting  about  $100  a  month  profit. 
The  demand  for  breeding  stock  has  been  brisk 


A  CALIFORNIA  HILLSIDE  SLOPE  SQUAB  FAKM. 


since  the  squab  price:    dropped,  so  that  but 
few  squabs  have  gone  \o  market. 


$4.50,  $6;  May  5,  $4.50,  $6;  May  12,$4.50,$6; 
May  19,  $4,  $6;  May  26,  $4.  $6;  June  2,  $4, 

£50;  June  9,  $3.50,  $5.50;  June  16,  " 
ic  " 


;  June  9,  $3.50,  $5.50;  June  16,  $3,  $5; 
23.  $3,  $5;  June  30,  $3,  $5;  July  7. $3,  $5; 
14,  $5,  $6;  July  21,  $3,  $4.50;  July  28,  $3, 


Our    Carneaux   youngsters   bring  from    $10       July  14,  $5,  $6;  July  21,  $3,  $4.50;  July  28,  $3, 
to  $16  per  dozen  and  Homers  to  the  market       $5;  August  4,  $4,  $5;  August  11,  $3.50,  $4.50; 
bring  $3  in  summer  and  $4  in  winter.     Next       August  18,  $3,  $5.50;  August  25,  $3,  $5;  Sep- 
year,  I  expect  to  contract  all  our  squabs  at  $5       tember    1,   $4,    $5;    September   8,    $4,    $5.50; 
a  dozen   the   year   round,   not   including    the 
Carneaux  which  are  likely  to  go  for  breeders  as 
they  always  have  done. 

I  saw  the  books  of  one  poultry  dealer  in 
San  Francisco  recently,  showing  where  he 
gets  $7  per  dozen  from  one  of  his  customers 
for  large  squabs.  He  pays  $5  for  the  same, 
alive. 

The  majority  of  raisers  ship  alive  to  San 
Francisco  and  Oakland,  and  the  coops  that 
produce  best  results  are  not  over  six  inches 


September  15,  $3.50,  $4.50;  September  22. 
$3.50,  $4.50;  September  29,  $3.50,  $4.50;  Octo- 
ber 6,  $3.50,  $4.50;  October  13,  $3,  $4.50; 
October  20.  $4,  $5.50;  October  27,  $4,  " 
November  3,  $4,  $6;  November  10,  $4.50, 
November  17,  $4,  $6;  November  24,  $4, 
December  8,  $4,  $6;  December  15.  $4,  $6. 


high  in  the  clear.  This  prevents  the  birds 
piling  upon  each  other. 

BOSTON     1911     SQUAB     PRICKS.     The 

following  figures  for  1911  taken  from  the  Boston 
Globe  show  the  prices  for  squabs  from  January 
to  December  of  that  year.  The  first  price 
quoted  in  each  case  is  for  the  poorer  grade  of 
squabs.  The  prices  quoted  highest  in  each 
case  are  for  squabs  bred  from  our  Extra  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Homers  and  Carneaux.  These 
figures  show  that  the  Boston  squab  market, 
like  that  in  other  cities,  is  steady  all  the  year 
around  at  highly  profitable  prices,  in  no  case 
falling  below  $3  a  dozen,  this  price  coming  in 
the  summer,  when  squabs  may  be  sold  at 
summer  resorts  in  New  England  at  prices 
equal  to  the  best  winter  Boston  city  prices: 
January  6,  $5,  $6.50;  January  13,  $5,  $6;. 
January  20.  $5.50,  $6;  January  27,  $5,  $7; 
February  3,  $5,  $6;  February  10,  $5.50,  $6.50; 


When  a  beginner,  like  Etwinoma  Farms, 
takes  25  pairs  of  our  Extra  Homers  worth  $50 
and  in  two  years  multiplies  them  to  800  pairs 
worth  $1600,  do  you  realize  that  this  is  a  big 
return?  You  can't  put  $50  into  any  bank  and 
get  $1600  back  in  two  years.  And  remember, 
that  in  the  two  years  squabs  enough  were  sold 
to  pay  the  entire  running  expenses  of  the 
plant.  Fifty  dollars  increased  to  $1600  in  two 
years  is  thirty-two  hundred  per  cent  increase. 
This  is  not  theoretical,  but  is  the  record  of 
something  which  actually  has  been  accom- 
plished with  our  Plymouth  Rock  Extra  Hom- 
ers. This  is  only  one  of  hundreds  of  such 
phenomenal  returns. 

After  you  have  read  this  Manual,  write  us  a 
letter  telling  us  how  you  think  it  can  be  im- 
proved. Is  anything  lacking?  What  do  you 
wish  to  know  that  is  not  covered  here?  We 
intend  to  keep  the  book  full  and  complete 
from  year  to  year  and  welcome  suggestions  for 
its  improvement.  Tell  us  what  your  plans  for 
squab  raising  are  and  let  us  help  you  it  we  can. 


APPENDIX  G 


395 


SQUAB  MARKET  UP  IN  SALT  LAKE 
CITY,  by  J.  H.  Armstrong.  I  will  try  and 
tell  you  something  of  the  squab  and  its  market 
in  Salt  Lake  City.  It  has  been  only  within 
the  past  few  years  that  the  squab  has  had  a 
place  on  the  tables  of  our  private  families. 
Only  the  hotels  and  restaurants  knew  what 
it  was  to  have  squabs  to  serve  to  their  fine 
trade,  but  today  the  squab  will  be  found  on 
the  tables  of  those  who  can  afford  it,  and,  in 
fact,  on  the  tables  of  a  good  many  who  can 
not.  The  squab  of  today  is  taking  the  place 
of  the  young  chicken.  The  demand  is  growing 
and  the  "  hello  "  for  squabs  is  getting  greater 
every  day.  I  have  only  one  hundred  pairs 
and  I  cannot  breed  enough  squabs  to  fill  my 
orders,  so  I  am  buying  from  other  parties,  and 
even  then  my  supply  is  limited;  I  cannot  get 
enough.  I  am  looking  forward  to  the  time 
when  I  will  have  two  thousand  squab  breeders 
instead  of  two  hundred.  I  am  working  slowly, 
but  it  is  steady. 

This  past  week's  market  (July)  has  been 
good  with  prices  as  follows: 

8-lb.  squabs  per  dozen,  $3.00  hotel  and 
restaurant. 

9-lb.  squabs,  $3.50  hotel  and  restaurant. 

10-lb.  squabs,  $4.00  hotel  and  restaurant. 

10-lb.  to  11-lb.  squabs  per  dozen,  $4.50  to 
S6.00  family  trade. 

These  prices  I  have  fought  for  the  past  three 
years  (credit  to  the  magazine)  as  I  could  not 
get  other  squab  raisers  to  stay  together  on  the 
prices  until  the  last  few  months. 

New  Yorkers  are  spenders,  and  money  is  no 
object  when  they  desire  something  that  appeals 
to  their  appetites.  Go  where  you  will,  squabs 
will  always  be  found  on  the  bill  of  fare.  The 
demand  is  simply  enormous,  as  thousands  of 
birds  are  consumed  daily  and  the  demand  is 
continually  on  the  increase.  The  trouble  has 
been  to  obtain  a  sufficient  quantity  to  supply 
the  demand,  and  I  have  heard  it  stated  that 
birds  actually  were  imported  to  satisfy  the 
demand  for  extra  large  squabs.  Here  is  an 
excellent  opportunity  for  the  wide-awake,  up- 
to-date  breeder  who  is  in  a  position  to  deliver 
first-class  stock  to  the  consumer  direct.  A 
veritable  hidden  treasure  of  practically  un- 
limited profit  awaits  him.  Just  think  of  the 
prospects,  with  our  industry  still  in  its  infancy. 
— Harry  M.  Samson,  New  York. 

We  have  been  selling  a  few  Plymouth  Rock 
squabs  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  at  $3  a  dozen.  The 
men  we  sell  to  say  they  are  the  finest  they  ever 
handled.  As  soon  as  we  can  get  enough  to 
make  regular  shipments  we  intend  to  send 
them  away,  as  we  were  offered  $5  a  dozen  for 
them  in  June.  We  keep  a  strict  account  of  all 
expenditures  in  our  large  single  entry  ledger 
and  find  it  costs  about  ten  cents  per  pair  per 
month  to  feed  them. — James  C.  Martin,  Indi- 


We  have  no  ground  oyster  shells  here,  so 
we  use  ground  clam  shells. — Miss  B.  Devereux, 
British  Columbia. 


EGGS  AND  SQUABS  DUE  TO  CONDI- 
TIONING. I  am  inclined  to  think  that  there 
is  such  a  thing  as  introducing  too  much  red 
tape  in  this  business  of  mating  and  tabbing 
birds  so  as  to  make  the  task  too  burdensome. 
It  would  be  a  nice  thing  if  you  would  give  us 
a  line  once  in  a  while  as  indicating  where  system 
leaves  off  and  red  tape  begins. — J.  C.  Broadwell, 
Oregon.  Pigeons  will  breed  naturally  if  you 
give  them  a  chance  and  if  they  are  in  condition. 
Novices  who  have  had  no  experience  with 
poultry  cannot  be  made  to  comprehend  that 
the  production  of  pigeon  eggs  is  a  study  in 
conditioning,  the  same  as  the  production  of 
hen's  eggs.  Poultrymen  also  have  their 
matings  but  they  know  enough  to  look  to 
condition  and  not  to  the  sexual  relations  for 
eggs.  Pigeons  should  be  banded,  but  the 
system  of  record  keeping  should  be  simple 
and  end  in  the  squabhouse,  not  be  carried  into 
evening  work  under  the  study  lamp.  The  most 
important  work,  as  the  National  Squab  Maga- 
zine 'has  demonstrated,  is  to  sell  the  squabs 
intelligently.  Squab  breeders  who  fuss  about 
the  small  matters  never  accomplish  anything. 

TRANSFERRING  BREEDERS,  by  Ida 
Dana.  I  have  been  transferring  my  breeders 
from  the  house  in  which  they  have  been  work- 
ing since  I  received  them  in  May,  to  one  better 
fitted  for  the  winter.  I  have  been  careful  to 
take  each  family  when  the  youngest  squabs 
were  two  weeks  old,  before  the  mother  had 
started  her  new  nest.  When  I  placed  the 
squabs  in  a  nest  in  the  same  part  of  the  new 
room  as  that  occupied  by  their  nest  in  the  old 
room,  the  parents  never  failed  to  recognize  and 
feed  them.  It  was  before  I  understood  the 
necessity  of  this  arrangement  that  one  pair, 
neglecting  their  own  squabs,  fed  those  in  the 
place  in  which  theirs  should  have  been.  I 
granted  their  wish  by  putting  their  squabs  into 
that  box,  and  had  no  further  trouble. 

FACTS  ABOUT  NEW  YORK  FRESH 
SQUABS,  by  William  R.  McLaughlin.  I  get 

a  great  many  letters  during  the  year  from  timid 
beginners  and  also  from  old  breeders  that  in- 
dicate they  fear  to  make  heavy  investments  at 
the  start  or  doubt  the  advisability  of  increasing 
their  flock  for  fear  of  overstocking  the  market. 
To  all  such  inquiries  I  urge  them  to  go  ahead 
and  increase  their  flocks  of  breeders  so  that  they 
can  ship  every  few  days  from  five  to  twenty-five 
dozen  squabs  at  a  time.  They  run  no  risk  as 
to  demand  at  good  prices  all  the  year  round. 
They  run  no  risk  of  overloading  the  market. 

I  have  had  extraordinary  success  with  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Homers  and  am  more  than  pleased 
with  the  results.  I  have  met  with  ready  sale 
for  my  squabs,  and  if  I  had  the  space  would 
increase  my  flock.  I  sell  my  squabs  locally 
and  get  $3  to  $4.50  a  dozen,  in  other  words 
fifty  to  seventy-five  cents  a  pair.  My  squabs 
will  average  in  weight  nine  pounds  to  the  dozen, 
in  fact  in  some  instances  had  them  to  weigh 
fifteen  and  sixteen  ounces. — H.  H.  Kangeter, 
South  Carolina. 


396 


APPENDIX   G 


HOW  I  FEED  HEALTH  GRIT  FRESH 
DAILY,  by  M.  C.  Martin.  When  I  first 
started  to  feed  health  grit,  as  it  was  rather 
expensive,  I  was  not  very  particular  about  the 
birds  eating  very  much  of  it.  So  I  would  fill  a 
covered  trough  with  a  good  quantity.  Result, 
pigeons  would  "go  some"  for  it,  when  first 
put  in  the  trough,  but  would  soon  eat  the 
choice  ingredients,  and  care  little  for  the 
leavings.  Also,  after  water  was  poured  on 
for  several  days,  the  grit  became  packed  and 
hard,  and  the  birds  would  pay  little  attention 
to  it.  In  this  way  a  sack  of  grit  lasted  a  long 
time.  But  I  began  to  study  my  birds,  and 
found  that  when  they  ate  more  grit,  they  were 
healthier  and  heartier.  Then  I  began  to 
experiment  and  after  thorough  trial  have  set- 
tled on  the  following  method : 

Provide  covered  wooden  troughs  about  four 
or  six  inches  wide  and  two  inches  deep,  and 
long  enough  for  all  the  birds  in  each  pen  to 
eat  at  once.  The  top  of  the  trough  may  be 
made  so  as  to  be  lifted  off  or  removed  when 
putting  grit  in  the  trough. 

Once  a  day  feed  the  grit  in  the  covered 
troughs  and  the  little  birds  will  soon  learn  to 
come  for  it,  and  make  more  fuss  about  it  than 
when  you  feed  them  hemp.  Give  them  grit 
once  a  day  just  what  they  will  eat  up  in  a  few 
minutes. 

With  a  little  experimenting  you  can  soon 
learn  about  how  much  is  best  for  them.  For, 
by  this  method,  you  can  overfeed  them  easily. 

I  use  five-gallon  cream  cans  to  keep  the  grit 
in.  Pour  in  a  little  water  and  keep  closed, 
and  in  this  way,  the  grit  is  always  damp  and 
moist,  ready  to  feed.  Grit  should  be  bought 
in  500-pound  or  ton  lots,  thus  saving  on  the 
freight  bill. 

Now,  as  to  the  reasons  for  using  health 
grit.  I  find  the  iron  in  it  enriches  the  blood 
corpuscles.  The  small  sea-shells,  which  it 
contains,  I  have  noted,  make  better  hatching 
eggs,  as  too  much  crude  lime,  contained  in 
oyster  shells,  makes  the  eggshells  have  large 
white  deposits  on  them,  causing  the  eggs  to 
be  easily  broken.  Such  eggs  seldom  hatch,  and 
if  they  do,  the  "  peepers  "  usually  die.  An- 
other thing  I  have  noticed  is  that  the  birds 
seldom  if  ever  have  sour  crop,  a  common 
ailment  without  a  liberal  use  of  grit. 

If  you  follow  the  method  I  have  explained 
here,  be  careful  you  do  not  feed  too  much. 
A  good,  large  handful  once  a  day  is  sufficient 
for  a  flock  of  thirty  birds.  The  other  way 
of  feeding  as  used  by  most  squab  men  is  to 
put  a  large  quantity  in  a  covered  trough  and 
leave  it  a  number  of  days  until  it  is  all  eaten  up. 

SAVES  WIRING  TIME,  by  Louis  A.  Hart. 

Instead  of  the  old  method  of  tying  every  other 
mesh  of  the  wire  netting  with  a  short  wire,  or 
even  running  a  long  wire  all  the  way  through 
the  entire  length  of  strand,  just  take  an  eight- 
penny  nail  and  twist  it  around  the  two  wires 
three  or  four  times,  causing  the  wires  to  weave 
together  the  same  as  the  rest  of  the  netting. 
It  is  very  fast,  also  simple  and  entirely  safe. 
To  undo,  just  reverse  the  operation. 


PREVENTS  STICKING,  by  C.  C.  Fraser. 

I  find  it  a  good  plan  to  dust  the  nestbowls  with 
buckwheat  hulls  or  tobacco  dust.  This  pre- 
vents the  manure  from  sticking  to  the  bowls  and 
makes  the  cleaning  much  easier.  If  nothing 
like  this  is  used,  the  work  of  cleaning  the  bowls 
is  quite  difficult. 

One  of  our  customers  in  New  York  State, 
Henry  Blumers,  who  bought  a  big  flock  of  our 
Homers  and  Carneaux  last  year,  has  raised  six- 
teen squabs  from  one  pair  of  our  Carneaux  in  a 
period  of  seven  months.  This  is  how  he  tells 
the  story:  "  We  noticed  in  the  magazine  a  party 
in  California  having  sixteen  squabs  in  ten 
months,  so  we  thought  we  would  send  you  the 
record  of  one  of  the  pairs  of  Carneaux  which  we 
purchased  of  you  last  fall.  They  hatched: 
January  10,  two  squabs;  February  9,  two; 
March  14,  one;  April  22,  two;  May  7,  one;  May 
25,  two;  June  27,  two:  July  15,  two;  July  31, 
two;  and  now  at  the  present  writing  (August 
23)  they  have  a  nest  started  with  one  egg.  We 
call  this  the  champion  pair  of  the  five  hundred 
and  fifty  pairs  of  Homers  and  Carneaux  which 
we  bought  at  that  time." 

A  man  in  business  judges  his  correspondents 
by  their  style  of  correspondence.  Anybody 
who  wishes  information  of  an  advertiser  should 
write  him  a  letter,  not  a  postal  card,  and  en- 
close a  two-cent  stamp  for  his  reply.  If  the 
advertiser  has  a  stenographer,  it  will  cost  in 
her  wages  at  least  five  cents  to  write  the  letter, 
not  to  mention  the  postage  as  well  as  the  time 
of  the  advertiser  in  dictating  or  writing  the 
letter.  Every  advertiser  gets  a  great  many 
foolish  and  needless  inquiries  which  are  a  con- 
stant burden  of  expense,  and  scores  of  such  cor- 
respondents are  productive  of  no  business. 
Hundreds  of  questions  asked  daily  are  fully 
answered  in  printed  matter  sent  out  by  the 
advertisers.  Another  point  to  remember  is 
that  advertisers  cannot  reasonably  be  asked  to 
make  estimates  of  what  the  inquirer  will  do 
with  certain  pigeons,  or  in  certain  contingencies 
which  come  up  in  daily  work  in  the  squabhouse. 
The  only  way  one  can  find  out  what  one  can  do, 
is  to  do  it,  or  try  to  do  it.  Nobody  can  tell 
without  trying. 

We  are  very  particular  about  the  quality  of 
our  grain.  We  never  buy  damaged  or  second 
quality  grain,  and  we  have  told  our  grain  dealer 
so  in  such  plain  words  that  he  distinctly  under- 
stands it.  We  govern  the  amount  to  give  the 
birds  at  one  time,  by  the  looks  of  the  feed  box. 
If  they  have  not  eaten  all  that  was  given  the 
time  previous,  we  do  not  give  them  so  much. 
We  try  to  gauge  the  amount  so  there  will  be 
very  little,  if  any,  in  the  feed  box  at  feeding 
time.— George  F.  Cook,  Maine. 

I  sell  the  pigeon  manure  to  a  tannery  for 
fifty  cents  a  bushel.  I  find  plenty  of  fertilizer 
that  does  not  go  to  the  tannery,  splendid  for  the 
garden  and  lawn. — Graham  Roys,  Michigan. 

Breed  for  three  things:  good  feeders,  good 
color  and  good  size. 


APPENDIX  G 


397 


HOW  I  OBTAINED  A  PROFITABLE 
PRICE,  by  John  F.  Bushmeyer.  My  brother 
has  been  selling  Homer  squabs  in  St.  Louis  at 
ten  and  fifteen  cents  apiece,  not  knowing  they 
were  worth  more;  in  fact,  not  even  looking  up 
the  market  prices  in  the  daily  papers.  We  got 
wise  to  the  fact  that  they  were  worth  more 
through  the  Manual  and  the  magazine,  which 
is  a  daisy.  My  brother  decided  not  to  sell 
any  more  squabs  unless  he  got  a  better  price. 
One  day  last  week,  having  three  pairs  of 
squabs  ready  for  sale,  he  put  them  into  a  small 
box  and  went  down  to  the  market ;  but  instead 
of  going  to  the  ten-and-fifteen-cent  dealer,  he 
went  into  the  opposite  side  of  the  market  to 
walk  through,  and  the  first  butcher's  stand  he 
passed,  the  man  behind  the  counter,  seeing 
the  box  he  carried,  called  him,  saying,  "  What 
have  you  got  there,  squabs?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  my  brother,  "  are  you 
buying  them?  " 

"  Are  they  commons?  " 

"  No,"  answered  my  brother,  "  they  are 
fancy  Homers." 

"  What  do  you  want  for  them?  "  asked  the 
dealer. 

"  The  market  price,"  was  the  answer. 

After  looking  them  over,  he  asked  again, 
"  What  do  you  want  for  them?  " 

"  The  market  price  as  I  said  before,  if  I 
cannot  get  any  more." 

"  Say,  Chollie,"  the  butcher  called  to  another 
man  behind  the  counter,  "  what  are  Homer 
squabs  selling  for  today?  " 

Chollie  picked  up  a  morning  paper,  made  a 
bluff  at  looking  at  it;  "$1.75  a  dozen,"  he 
answered. 

"  Wake  up  and  let  me  see  that  paper,"  said 
my  brother,  which  he  did  after  some  stalling, 
and  my  brother  proceeded  to  read  the  market 
quotations,  which  were  as  follows: 

"  '  Pigeons  and  Squabs  —  Live  pigeons  at 
seventy-five  cents  per  dozen.  Squabs  —  Fancy 
Homers  at  $2.75  per  dozen  for  eight-pound, 
$3.25  for  nine-pound,  $3.50  for  ten-pound 
and  at  $1.50  for  small;  common  at  $1.00  and 
$1.25  per  dozen.'  This  is  out  of  the  Post 
Despatch  of  today.  Now  if  you  want  those 
squabs,  weigh  them  up  and  give  me  the  price." 

The  butcher  put  them  on  the  scales  and 
they  weighed  four  and  a  half  pounds;  for  the 
six  he  readily  produced  $1.60  and  said,  "  Bring 
me  all  you  can  get."  This  shows  you  how 
anxious  they  are  to  get  good  squabs. 


SQUAB  CONDITIONS  IN  ST.  LOUIS,  by 
Fred  L.  Stock.  This  is  intended  mainly  for 
the  information  of  the  western  squab  breeder, 
yet  it  may  prove  of  some  interest  to  the  eastern 
breeder,  to  the  extent  of  giving  him  some 
inside,  as  to  the  conditions  now  in  force  in 
St.  Louis.  But,  in  the  start,  I  wish  to  make 
my  position  clear,  by  the  statement  that  I 
have  no  interest  in  any  manner  with  the  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Squab  Company,  as  I  do  not 
own  one  bird  that  was  ever  purchased  from 
this  firm.  The  market  in  this  city  (St.  Louis) 
is  without  doubt  the  most  unsatisfactory 
market  in  the  United  States  today,  and  will 
continue  to  be  such  so  long  as  the  conditons 
are  in  force  that  now  prevail,  the  conditions 
I  refer  to  being  the  limited  number  of  really 
good  flocks  of  Homers  in  the  city.  In  fact, 
I  can  use  one  hand  in  counting  the  owners  of 
these  first-class  Homers,  and  in  each  and  every 
case  the  original  breeders  were  purchased  from 
the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company,  and  their 
owners  have  no  trouble  in  finding  a  private 
market  for  their  squabs  at  the  eastern  market 
price,  owing  to  the  vast  difference  in  quality 
of  squabs'  from  these  birds,  and  the  squabs  to 
be  found  ..i  the  public  market. 


Many 


ale  state  how  much  per  pair  it 


^costs  to  feed  their  birds.  The  price  of  grain 
in  California  and  the  Middle  States  differs 
so  greatly  that  their  estimate  gives  me  no  idea 
whatever  of  what  it  would  cost  me  per  pair. 
For  this  season  I  am  weighing  all  the  feed 
used  in  one  house.  In  the  past  three  months 
they  have  eaten  at  the  rate  of  eighty-four 
pounds  to  each  pair  per  year.  I  will  continue 
to  weigh  for  a  full  year.  There  is  little  demand 
for  large  squabs  in  the  small  towns,  but  in  San 
Francisco  they  want  large  squabs  and  lots  of 
them.  San  Francisco  is  only  seventy  miles 
from  here,  so  I  ship  my  squabs  alive.  The 
express  is  fifty  cents  per  hundredweight.  A 
few  of  my  squabs  go  to  commission  houses,  but 
most  of  them  go  to  marketmen  direct,  and  I 
pay  no  commission.  Several  marketmen  have 
asked  me  to  contract  my  squabs  to  them  by  the 
year  at  a  given  price.  They  are  willing  to  give 
a  good  price  anyhow  so  I  have  not  contracted 
yet.  Squabs  are  quoted  at  $2  to  $4.50  per 
dozen.  My  squabs  are  classed  as  extras  and  I 
never  receive  less  than  $3  per  dozen  and  this 
for  only  a  few  shipments  each  year.  I  have 
been  unable  to  find  a  demand  for  larger  than 


a  one-pound  squab  on  the  open  market. — D.  D. 
I  am  now  shipping  all  my  Plymouth  Rock        Powell,  California. 


A    tuu    liuw    snipping    itii    my    .riyiuuucii 

squabs  to  a  Chicago  marketman.  He  payo 
$3.25  for  eight-pound  squabs,  $3.75  for  nine- 
pound,  $4.00  for  ten-pound,  and  sends  check 
weekly.  I  ship  at  4.12  p.m.  and  they  arrive  in 
Chicago  at  8.30  a.m.  the  following  day.  I  am 
building  another  fine  addition  for  three  hun- 
dred more  pairs  of  my  Carneaux. — J.  B.  Beck- 
man,  Missouri. 

Squabs  are  a  good  proposition  around  here. 
Ours  are  in  demand,  many  more  than  we  can 
care  for.  The  trade  is  waiting  for  them  at  $5 
to  $6  a  dozen. — Mrs.  Ed  Cogley,  Iowa. 


The  largest  New  York  hotels  consume  on  an 
average  of  sixty  dozen  squabs  a  day,  each  hotel, 
and  the  prices  range  from  75  cents  to  $1.50  per 
squab,  according  to  the  location  and  size  ot 
the  hotel.  My  readers  can  draw  their  own 
conclusion  as  to  whether  squab  raising  pays  in 
this  part  of  the  country. — Harry  M.  Samson, 
New  York. 

I  can  sell  all  my  squabs  to  private  customers 
from  fifty  cents  to  seventy-five  cents  a  pair.— 
Ray  F.  Peavey,  Massachusetts. 


398 

r 


APPENDIX  G 


L 


APPENDIX  G 


399 


I  SHIP  SQUABS  FROM  KANSAS  TO 
COLORADO,  bj  Frank  Hucht.  I  started  four 
years  ago  in  the  business.  I  did  not  know 
anything  about  the  pigeon  industry  but  have 
learned  something  since.  The  first  Homers  I 
saw  were  in  our  town,  shipped  from  the  East, 
one-half  dozen  pairs.  They  were  fine  birds, 
and  I  liked  them  very  much.  I  stocked  up 
with  Plymouth  Rock  Homers.  My  start  was 
in  an  old  barn  almost  ready  to  fall  down.  It 
did  not  take  very  long  when  my  second  room 
was  filling  up.  I  talked  the  matter  over  with 
my  wife  in  regard  to  building  a  squabhouse, 
but  she  would  not  listen  to  me  at  first  and 
told  me  I  had  better  sell  those  old  pigeons  and 
get  back  what  money  I  had  spent  on  the  birds 
I  had.  I  had  quite  a  time  to  convince  my 
wife  that  there  was  money  in  raising  squabs. 
I  began  selling  a  few  dozen  every  week,  and 
got  $2.50  and  $3  a  dozen  for  them.  My  wife 
was  well  pleased  with  that,  and  I  convinced 
her  of  the  fact  and  built  a  house  sixty  feet 
long,  fourteen  feet  wide,  with  three-foot  aisle, 
self  feeders  in  every  unit.  I  then  had  only 
one  hundred  pairs  and  had  four  units  to  go  on. 
I  sent  for  one  hundred  pairs  more  Homers. 
That  made  the  house  fill  up  some.  A  year 
ago  I  bought  other  property  in  town,  which 
gave  me  more  room.  I  moved  my  sixty-foot 
building  to  this  place  and  added  sixty  feet  to 
it,  which  makes  the  present  structure  one  hun- 
dred twenty  feet  long.  (See  photograph  on 
opposite  page.) 

My  principal  feed  is  corn  and  kaffir  corn, 
millet  and  wheat.  I  have  kaffir  corn  in  self 
feeders  at  all  times.  The  other  grains  I  throw 
on  floor.  I  also  feed  hempseed  and  peas  with 
plenty  of  grit.  I  have  now  five  hundred  mated 
pairs  of  Homers  and  some  youngsters,  and  also 
Carneaux. 

I  ship  all  of  my  squabs  to  Colorado.  I  dry- 
pick  them  in  the  winter  and  in  the  summer 
months  I  ship  them  alive.  The  market  West 
in  the  summer  is  not  as  good  as  it  has  been.  I 
received  $2.50  and  $3.00  a  dozen  for  them 
F.  O.  B.  Denver,  which  I  considered  a  fair 
market.  I  got  as  high  as  $3.75  for  them. 

Let  members  of  the  association,  when  they 
go  shopping,  inquire  the  prices  of  squabs,  as  if 
they  intended  buying  a  pair  or  a  dozen.  Mail 
us  the  dealer's  full  name  and  address,  date  and 
price  quoted.  These  figures  would  give  the 
true  retail  prices.  Then  the  wholesale  prices 
will  be  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  per  cent  less. 
It  has  been  true,  is  true  now,  and  will  be  true, 
that  nobody  can  be  guided  successfully  by 
printed  quotations,  but  must  find  out  first  what 
his  squabs  cost  him  per  dozen,  then  add  what 
he  desires  for  a  profit  and  sell  at  that  figure. 
Otherwise  nothing  but  failure  will  result. 

I  had  a  dirt  floor  in  my  pigeon  house,  think- 
ing it  a  necessity,  but  after  I  put  in  a  floor  of 
two-inch  plank  and  raised  my  house  about 
two  feet  off  the  ground  I  raised  squabs  with 
ease  and  rapidity.  Dampness  was  the  cause, 
produced  by  the  dirt  floor. — Charles  A.  Tapper, 
New  York. 


NON-FLAKING  WHITEWASH.  To  pre- 
pare whitewash  for  fences,  buildings,  shop 
interiors,  etc.,  that  will  not  flake  and  fall  off, 
mix  one  part  fine  Portland  cement  with  about 
eight  gallons  whitewash.  The  cement  binds 
the  whitewash  to  the  wood  and  makes  a  per- 
manent covering  which  is  unaffected  by  weather 
conditions.  The  small  quantity  of  cement  used 
and  the  constant  stirring  necessary  to  keep  the 
whitewash  in  good  condition  for  applying,  pre- 
vents the  cement  hardening  in  lumps  at  the 
bottom  of  the  pail,  as  might  be  expected. 

I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  robbing  the  Car- 
neaux nests  twice  in  succession,  allowing  the 
old  birds  to  hatch  the  third  pair  of  eggs.  I  had 
robbed  a  certain  pair  twice  and  as  the  third 
pair  of  eggs  was  laid  on  the  floor  in  an  undesir- 
able place,  I  determined  to  rob  them  a  third 
time.  It  seemed  pretty  hard,  but  I  considered 
it  best  all  round,  so  it  was  done.  Nine  days 
later  pair  of  eggs  number  four  appeared,  this 
time  in  a  nestbox.  They  were  allowed  to 
hatch  this  pair  (strong,  healthy  chaps  they  are, 
too)  and  —  here's  where  the  speed  comes  in  — 


just  seven  days  after  these  youngsters  were 

ain.     These  eggs  we 
removed  to  a  Homer  pair  as  usual.     It  has  n 


hatched,  the  hen  laid  agai 


been  four  days  since  the  second  egg  was  laid 
and  I  am  eagerly  waiting  to  see  how  long  it  will 
take  this  fine  little  egg  machine  to  produce 
again.  I  call  this  rapid  work  and  if  any  one 
has  a  breed  of  birds  which  can  go  ahead  of  it, 
I  should  like  to  hear  from  him.  —  George  N. 
Rogers,  Maryland. 

I  never  knew  a  thing  about  pigeons  until 
this  March  (1910)  when  I  took  charge  of  a  hun- 
dred pairs  —  seventy-five  pairs  Homers,  twenty- 
five  pairs  Carneaux.  They  were  very  much  run 
down  and  neglected  on  account  of  my  husband 
not  having  the  time  to  devote  to  them  that  they 
should  have  had.  I  read  all  the  National  Squab 
Magazines  over  and  over  again  and  conse- 
quently have  had  better  results  than  I  ever 
dreamed  of  having.  In  June  I  sold  $29.25 
worth  of  squabs,  besides  keeping  fourteen  pairs 
for  breeding  purposes,  and  in  July  I  expect  to 
do  better  still.  —  Mrs.  Edgar  Rapp,  Missouri. 
This  story  ought  to  sell  some  more  of  the  bound 
volumes  of  the  magazine,  price  $2.50,  trans- 
portation prepaid.  Each  volume  has  over  four 
hundred  large  pages  of  original  squab  matter 
which  will  not  be  reprinted.  The  first  volume 
includes  the  twelve  issues  for  1909,  the  second 
1910,  the  third  191  1  ,  the  fourth  1912,  and  so  on. 
Address  Squab  Publishing  Co.,  220  Purchase 
Street,  Boston,  Mass. 

I  purchased  my  Homers  from  your  plant  some 
two  years  ago,  and  I  have  bred  them  under  the 
most  adverse  circumstances.  I  wish  to  state 
that  after  looking  at  several  plants  in  this  t9wn 
my  pigeons  are  just  a  little  bit  the  best  looking, 
and  if  I  can  get  these  other  pigeons  from  your 
place,  would  be  delighted  to  do  so.  —  H.  G, 
Cooper,  Louisiana. 


400 


APPENDIX  G 


HOW  GOOD  SQUABS  TOOK  THE  RIGHT 
OF  WAY,  by  C.  E.  Plank.  In  May,  1908,  I 
purchased  one  dozen  pairs  of  the  Extra  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Homers,  intending  to  raise  squabs 
for  my  own  use  only,  but  in  a  year  I  had  on 
hand  seventy  pairs,  and  lacking  room  had  to 
dispose  of  the  surplus  squabs.  I  called  on 
one  of  the  largest  retail  grocers,  handling 
groceries,  meats,  fruits  and  all  good  things  to 
eat,  who  offered  me  only  $1.50  a  dozen,  saying 
he  never  paid  over  $2  for  the  best.  I  told 
him  he  must  be  getting  only  common  birds 
of  about  seven  or  eight  pounds  per  dozen.  He 
acknowledged  such  was  the  case.  When  I 
explained  what  my  birds  were  and  that  my 
squabs  ran  ten  and  eleven  pounds  per  dozen, 
he  was  willing  to  talk,  and  we  finally  com- 
promised on  $2.50,  alive  off  the  nest,  any  up 
quantity  and  at  any  time,  this  because  I  had  On 
to  sell  my  birds  alive,  having  no  time  to  dress 
or  even  pluck  them. 

I  averaged  eight  dozen  a  month  the  rest  of 
the  year,  or  $20  a  month,  and  my  feed  was 
costing  me  about  $7. 

I  had  one  house  twelve  by  fourteen  feet,  with 
a  low  upper  story,  keeping  about  ninety  birds 
in  the  lower  part  and  thirty  above.  In  May, 
1910,  I  built  another  cheap  house  seven  by 


eleven  feet,  stocking  it  with  select  youngsters, 
fifty  Homers  and  twelve  Carneaux,  allowing 
them  to  mate  up  as  they  wished.  Most  of 
the  Carneaux  mated  with  Homers  and  their 
squabs  all  run  over  a  pound  each,  and  these 
Carhomes  are  fully  as  prolific  as  the  Homers. 

To  verify  the  quality  of  my  squabs,  I  will 
say  that  last  month  the  head  buyer  for  the 
grocer  instructed  me  to  bring  no  more  squabs, 
as  they  were  overstocked.  I  told  him  I  had 
arranged  with  the  owner  personally  for  the 
sale  of  my  birds,  and  the  conditions.  He  called 
the  owner,  who  said:  "Oh,  you  are  the  gentle- 
man who  has  the  large  squabs,"  then  to  the 
buyer:  "  Cut  out  some  of  the  others,  and  take 
all  this  man  brings.  We  can  always  dispose 
of  his  birds."  His  retail  price  is  thirty  to 
fifty  cents  each,  and  if  I  had  the  time  to  kill 
and  pluck  my  squabs,  I  could  find  a  ready 
sale  for  all  of  them  to  private  parties  and  hotels 
at  $3.50  to  $4.50  a  dozen. 

Comparatively  few  private  families  in  this 
Missouri  city  use  squabs  to  any  extent  what- 
ever. I  have  attended  several  banquets  at 
hotels  and  clubs,  at  which  squabs  were  served, 
and  find  them  invariably  broiled,  practically 
"  dried  up  "  and  usually  the  common  birds. 
It  is  no  wonder  that  people  who  try  the  small 
birds,  served  in  that  manner,  are  not  very 
"  strong  "  for  squabs. 

While  my  pigeons  are  yielding  me  a  big 
per  cent  profit  on  the  investment,  I  know 
they  would  be  much  more  lucrative  were  I 
to  give  them  an  hour  or  two  each  day.  I  see 
them  a  few  minutes  each  morning  and  spend 
a  few  hours  with  them  on  Sunday.  In  winter 
I  see  them  in  daylight  only  on  Sunday. 

An  elderly  Englishman  who  raises  fancy 
pigeons  of  all  kinds  for  shows  and  fairs  called 
to  see  my  birds  recently  and  said  I  had  the 
nicest,  healthiest  lot  of  pigeons  he  had  ever 


seen.  I  lose  very  few  birds  with  my  present 
manner  of  feeding.  I  have  tried  various 
methods  and  find  whole  corn  and  kaffir  as 
main  food  to  be  the  best,  with  about  one-sixth 
hard  wheat. 

BRILLIANT  WHITEWASH.  Half  a  bushel 
unslaked  lime  ;  slake  with  warm  water,  cover  it 
during  the  process  to  keep  the  steam;  strain  the 
liquid  through  a  fine  sieve  or  strainer;  add  a 
peck  of  salt,  the  same  to  be  previously  well 
dissolved  in  warm  water;  add  three  pounds  of 
ground  rice  boiled  to  a  thin  paste  and  stir  in 
boiling  hot;  add  one-half  pound  of  glue  which 
has  been  previously  dissolved  over  a  slow  fire 
and  add  five  gallons  of  hot  water  to  the  mixture, 
ll  and  let  it  stand  for  a  few  days,  covering 
up  to  keep  out  dirt.  It  should  be  put  on  hot. 
One  pint  of  the  mixture,  properly  applied,  will 
cover  a  square  yard.  Small  brushes  are  best. 
There  is  nothing  can  compare  with  it  for  out- 
side or  inside  work  and  it  retains  its  brilliancy 
for  many  years.  Coloring  matter  may  be  put 
in  and  made  of  any  shade  —  Spanish  brown, 
yellow  ochre,  or  common  clay,  etc. 


I  tried  to  find  out  if  there  was  any  one  in 
London,  Ontario,  a  city  of  50,000  inhabitants, 
who  is  doing  a  squab  business,  but  I  hear  of  only 
one  man  selling  squabs.  He  is  over  eighty 
years  of  age.  He  pays  the  boys  twenty-five 
cents  a  pair  for  common  pigeons  alive  or  dead. 
He  plucks  the  feathers,  and  sells  the  pigeons  to 
private  customers  at  eighty  cents  a  pair.  That 
is  I  think  a  pretty  high  price,  for  common  old 
pigeons.  There  are  quite  a  few  breeders  of 
flying  Homers  in  London  and  I  understand  they 
have  an  association,  but  apparently  they  have 
not  yet  become  much  interested  in  squabs. 
Near  London  is  the  city  of  Hamilton,  with 
65,000  people,  sixty  miles  away;  also  Chatham 
sixty  miles  away,  with  30,000  people,  and  St. 
Thomas  twenty-six  miles  distant,  with  30,000 
inhabitants.  Surely  this  is  population  enough 
to  make  trade  for  squab  plants.  —  W.  W.  Suther- 
land, Canada. 

Sulphate  of  iron  is  a  good  tonic  and  cor- 
rective for  pigeons.  Use  a  tablespoonful  to  a 
gallon  of  water.  I  grind  charcoal  as  fine  as  I 
can  and  mix  it  with  salt,  then  dampen  it  and 
pack  a  paper  bag  and  bake  in  the  oven  for  half 
a  day  or  longer,  so  it  will  be  as  hard  as  a  brick. 
Put  it  in  the  pen  and  the  pigeons  peck  at  it.  I 
have  sold  some  of  my  squabs  for  sixty-five  cents 
a  pair.  I  think  there  is  nothing  better  than 
squab  raising,  both  to  make  money  and  for 
satisfaction.  —  Louis  H.  Scharff,  Pennsylvania. 

In  regard  to  nest-building,  I  have  found  out 
that  by  taking  mustard  stalks  and  cutting  them 
about  three  feet  from  top  of  tree  and  then 
chopping  the  little  thin  branches  and  stump 
together  to  about  six  inches  in  length,  this 
makes  excellent  nesting  material  for  pigeons. 
They  will  leave  all  others  and  pick  out  mustard 
sticks.  If  some  of  your  subscribers  will  try 
this,  they  will  see  how  quickly  their  pigeons 
will  build  nests.—  Elmer  Krider,  California. 


APPENDIX   G 


401 


HOW  TO  SAVE  MONEY  IN  SHIPPING 
SQUABS,  by  Elmer  C.  Rice.  Having  a  well- 
settled  belief,  formed  while  handling  hundreds 
of  inquiries  on  the  subject,  that  not  one-tenth 
of  the  squab  breeders  on  this  continent  are 
shipping  killed  squabs  at  the  lowest  express 
rate  to  which  they  are  entitled  by  the  rules  of 
the  express  companies,  I  am  going  to  give  the 
facts  in  detail.  These  remarks  apply  to  all 
express  companies  operating  between  points  in 
the  United  States  and  between  any  point  in 
the  United  States  and  any  point  in  Canada,  also 
within  the  United  States  on  business  to  or  from 
other  countries.  They  also  apply  to  minor 
express  companies  or  individuals,  some  of  them 
too  small  to  have  any  rules  or  regulations,  but 
who  take  their  cues  from  the  big  ones,  and  who 
are  governed,  if  they  are  doing  an  interstate 
business,  by  the  rules  of  the  Interstate  Com- 
merce Commission  at  Washington,  which  has 
put  its  O.  K.  on  what  I  write  here. 

Most  shipments  of  killed  squabs  are  now 
made,  on  account  of  the  ignorance  both  of  the 
breeder  and  of  the  express  agent  to  whom  he  is 
giving  the  packages,  at  the  regular  rate  charged 
for  ordinary  merchandise.  For  example,  the 
rate  from  certain  points  in  Virginia,  Kentucky, 
Illinois,  Michigan,  and  Canada  to  New  York 
City  is  two  dollars  per  one  hundred  pounds  for 
ordinary  merchandise.  Under  this  rate  a  box 
of  squabs  weighing  for  example,  twenty  pounds, 
would  have  a  charge  of  eighty-five  cents  as- 
sessed against  it.  For  carrying  a  box  of  squabs 
weighing  one  hundred  pounds,  two  dollars 
would  be  charged.  These  charges  and  all 
similar  charges  based  on_  the  rate  made  for 
ordinary  merchandise  are  in  error,  being  much 
too  high. 

The  express  companies'  classification  has 
what  is  known  as  "  General  Specials."  Thirty 
commodities,  from  beef-fat  to  zwieback,  are 
these  general  specials.  In  S,  between  smilax 
and  stearine,  is  SQUABS,  dressed,  with  accom- 
panying language  as  follows: 

"  SQ  UA  BS,  dressed.  Charge  upon  the  actual 
gross  weight,  except  that  an  allowance  of  twenty- 
five  per  cent  from  the  gross  weight  may  be  made 
when  it  is  necessary  to  use  ice  for  preservation 
and  it  is  used  for  that  purpose  only.  The  charge 
on  a  shipment  packed  with  ice  must  not  be  less 
than  the  charge  on  the  net  weight,  with  twenty-five 
per  cent  added,  unless  the  gross  weight  at  time  of 
shipment  is  less." 

Any  general  special  commodity  goes  at  a 
specially  low  rate.  For  example,  when  the 
merchandise  rate  is  two  dollars  per  one  hundred 
pounds,  the  general  special  rate  is  only  $1.50 
per  hundred  pounds.  This  applies  to  squabs. 

Some  of  my  Texas  friends  have  been  shipping 
squabs  to  New  York  profitably  as  ordinary 
merchandise,  paying  six  dollars  for  a  box  weigh- 
ing one  hundred  pounds.  Correctly  made,  the 
rate  should  have  been  $3.90  (the  general  special 
on  six  dollars)  with  twenty-five  pounds  of  ice 
out,  making  a  correct  charge  of  three  dollars, 
oijust  half  what  they  have  been  paying. 

I  have  said  it  many  times,  and  1  repeat  it 
now,  that  anybody  living  anywhere  can  ship 
squabs  to  a  highly  profitable,  market,  even 


hundreds  of  miles  distant,  provided  he  will 
follow  plain  directions  such  as  I  am  giving  here. 

Always  prepay  express  charges  so  as  to  be 
able  to  talk  and  pay  at  your  end.  Do  not 
imagine  that  anybody  at  the  other  end  will 
look  out  for  your  interests  in  the  matter  of 
express  charges.  If  you  have  been  paying  the 
regular  merchandise  rate,  do  not  go  to  your 
express  agent  and  make  a  fuss.  You  might  as 
well  throw  a  dollar  into  the  ocean  from  the 
shore  and  wait  for  the  tide  to  bring  it  to  your 
feet.  Above  all,  remember  that  if  you  are 
going  to  succeed  in  the  squab  business,  you 
need  the  regard,  friendship  and  good  fellow- 
ship of  your  express  agent,  same  as  everybody 
with  whom  you  come  in  contact  in  a  business 
way. 

If  you  are  shipping  either  live  squabs  or  cull 
live  pigeons  to  market,  the  express  companies 
have  a  special  rate  for  you  known  as  Scale  O. 
This  is  practically  a  twenty-five  per  cent  de- 
duction. For  example,  when  the  regular  rate 
is  two  dollars  per  hundred  pounds,  the  Scale  O 
rate  is  $1.50. 

I  think  the  amount  of  excess  express  charges 
being  ignorantly  assessed  amounts  every  year 
to  $100,000,  which  I  regard  as  a  low  estimate,  as 
it  allows  only  a  dollar  a  month  overcharge 
against  ten  thousand  squab  shippers.  There 
are  more  than  ten  thousand  squab  shippers  and 
most  of  them  I  believe  are  paying  out  more 
than  a  dollar  a  month  illegally.  The  purpose 
of  this  article  is  to  put  an  end  to  this  illegal  tax 
on  the  squab  industry  and  it  will  be  effective  if 
you  will  start  the  conversation  with  your  express 
agent  when  you  ship  your  next  lot  of  squabs. 


MORE  LIGHT  ON  SQUAB  EXPRESS 
CHARGES,  by  Gerald  E.  Swihart.  I  am  a 

squab  breeder  and  have  given  the  matter  of 
express  rates  and  charges  a  lot  of  study  and 
time  and  I  think  I  have  it  down  to  the  lowest 
figure.  At  the  head  of  "General  Specials" 
in  the  Official  Express  Classification  No.  21, 
article  5,  page  17,  will  be  found  this  paragraph: 

"  Pound  rates  must  be  charged  on  General 
Special  Matter  with  a  minimum  of  thirty-five 
cents  (except  where  a  lower  minimum  is  speci- 
fically named  for  any  particular  commodity) 
unless  the  graduate  under  the  merchandise  rate 
is  less;  when  carried  by  more  than  one  company 
and  shipping  point  or  destination  is  an  exclusive 
office,  minimum  twenty-five  cents  for  each  com- 
pany carrying." 

Now  as  per  Mr.  Rice's  article  (see  page  401) 
when  the  regular  rate  is  $2,  the  general  special 
rate  is  $1.50,  as  per  Scale  "N",  and  going  farther 
and  taking  a  box  of  squabs  weighing  forty 
pounds,  and  allowing  twenty-five  per  cent  for 
ice,  making  a  net  weight  of  thirty  pounds  — 
now  take  your  graduate  charges  scale  and 
thirty  pounds  is  eighty  cents,  correct;  but 
under  general  specials  as  per  article  quoted 
above,  pound  rates  must  be  charged.  Now  as 
that  is  the  case,  then  if  one  hundred  pounds  cost 
$1.50  to  New  York,  then  one  pound  would  cost 
one  and  one-half  cents  and  thirty  pounds  would 
cost  30  x  1>3 .  or  forty-five  cents. 


402 


APPENDIX   G 


Now  another  example,  using  same  rate  $2 
merchandise,  $1.50  general  special  rate,  and 
box  weighed  twenty-eight  pounds.  Allowing 
for  ice  twenty-five  per  cent  leaves  the  box  net 
weight  of  twenty-one  pounds  and  at  one  and 
one-half  cents  per  pound  makes  thirty-two 
cents;  but  the  minimum  charges  are  thirty- 
five  cents,  then  the  express  agent  should  charge 
you  thirty-five  cents  for  your  box. 

Again,  if  you  are  in  a  place  which  has  but 
one  express  company  and  that  company  does 
not  have  an  office  in  the  point  to  which  you 
are  shipping,  the  charge  would  not  be  less 
than  fifty  cents,  twenty-five  cents  for  each 
company.  For  example,  you  live  in  a  town 
by  the  name  of  X  and  have  but  one  express 
company  doing  business  and  that  is  the  Cana- 
dian, and  you  bring  in  a  box  of  squabs  for 
New  York.  The  expressman  says  the  rate  to 
New  York  is  $2  and  that  the  box  will  cost  you 
$1.  Then  you  might  say,  "  Well,  I  under- 
stood that  the  express  companies  gave  a  special 
rate  on  squabs.  Let  us  look  it  up."  Have 
him  turn  to  Official  Express  Classification  and 
look  over  about  page  17  and  you  will  run 
across  a  heading  General  Specials,  then  reading 
that  heading  you  will  find  the  paragraph  as 
quoted  at  the  beginning  of  this  article.  After 
reading  this  carefully,  run  on  through  the  list 
of  articles  under  this  head  and  in  the  S's  you 
will  find  squabs,  just  as  stated  in  Mr.  Rice's 
article.  You  will  also  find  a  small  letter  (b) 
just  before  the  name  squab.  This  is  a  note  and 
must  be  looked  up.  This  reference  tells  that 
for  a  box  containing  squabs  and  ice,  an  allow- 
ance of  twenty-five  per  cent  must  be  made. 
Now  going  back  to  your  box  that  weighed 
forty  pounds,  allowing  twenty-five  per  cent  for 
ice,  leaves  a  net  weight  of  thirty  pounds.  You 
will  also  find  in  the  heading  of  General  Specials, 
rate  as  per  Scale  N.  Turn  to  page  29  and  you 
will  find  a  section  marked  Scale  N,  and  going 
down  the  rate  column  per  100  pounds  to  $2, 
regular  merchandise  rate,  it  will  be  found  that 
the  General  Special  rate  is  $1 .50  per  100  pounds. 
Now  that  means  one  and  one-half  cents  per 
pound  and  thirty  pounds  x  1J^  cents  is  forty- 
five  cents.  But  as  the  Canadian  Express  Com- 
pany has  no  office  in  New  York  and  must 
transfer  it  to  another  company  in  order  to  get 
the  box  to  destination,  each  company  says  it 
must  have  not  less  than  twenty-five  cents 
each;  hence  the  agent  must  charge  you  fifty 
cents  and  you  have  saved  fifty  cents,  and  the 
agent  is  posted  for  the  next  fellow.  Of,  if  the 
place  is  located  so  that  it  must  go  over  three 
express  companies'  roads  to  be  delivered  to 
destination,  then  the  charges  would  be  seventy- 
five  cents,  twenty-five  cents  for  each  company, 
but  if  it  went  through  three  companies'  hands 
when  it  was  only  necessary  to  go  through  two, 
then  the  rate  should  only  be  fifty  cents. 

Again,  a  great  many  places  have  a  special 
rate  that  is  cheaper  than  the  General  Special. 
For  instance,  the  regular  rate  from  this  point 
in  Michigan  to  New  York  is  $2.25,  and  that 
would  make  the  General  Special  rate  as  per 
Scale  N  $1.75  and  the  special  rate  from  here 
is  $1.50,  so  we  can  ship  from  here  to  New 


York  or  to  Boston  just  as  cheap  as  to  Philadel- 
phia where  the  rate  is  $2  regular  merchandise, 
which  would  make  the  General  Special  $1.50. 

Another  example.  I  go  to  the  express 
office  with  a  box  of  sixty  pounds  for  Chicago. 
The  rate  from  here  to  Chicago  is  ninety  cents 
and  per  Scale  N  the  General  Special  rate  is 
seventy-five  cents  per  hundred.  Now  allowing 
twenty-five  per  cent  for  ice,  the  net  weight  of 
the  box  is  forty-five  pounds.  Now  as  100 
pounds  would  cost  seventy-five  cents,  one 
pound  would  cost  three-quarters  of  a  cent, 
and  forty-five  pounds  would  be  45  x  } ,  or 
thirty-four  cents,  but  as  the  minimum  charge 
is  thirty-five  cents,  I  should  pay  thirty-five 
cents,  the  correct  charge  if  the  shipping  office 
and  destination  are  common  points  or  if  express 
company  at  shipping  point  has  an  office  at  des- 
tination. If  not,  then  each  company  would  de- 
mand twenty-five  cents  and  the  correct  charges 
should  be  fifty  cents. 

Again,  in  all  express  offices  you  will  find, 
or  should  find,  notices  like  this: 

"  The  rate  schedules  applying  to  or  from 
or  at  this  station  and  indices  of  this  company's 
tariff  are  on  file  in  this  office  and  may  be 
inspected  by  any  person  upon  application  and 
without  the  assignment  of  any  reason  for  such 
desire.  The  agent  or  other  employee  on  duty 
in  the  office  will  lend  any  assistance  desired  in 
securing  information  from  or  interpreting  such 
schedules." 

I  would  suggest  that  any  shipper  of  squabs 
go  to  the  express  office  beforehand  and  look 
this  matter  up  and  get  it  clear  about  the 
rate  before  taking  the  box  of  squabs.  Do 
not  bother  the  agent  when  he  is  busy  getting 
ready  for  a  train  or  just  after  a  train  when  he 
is  checking  his  express;  but  just  ask  for  the 
Tariff  Book  and  start  in  at  the  beginning  and 
find  the  section  headed  Official  Classification 
and  in  the  index  find  General  Specials  and  then 
turn  to  page  and  article  as  per  the  index  and 
go  to  reading  and  after  reading  the  heading 
of  General  Specials,  either  run  through  the 
articles  under  General  Specials  until  you  find 
Squabs  (dressed)  or  turn  back  to  the  index 
and  look  up  squabs  and  read  that  and  also 
the  note  indicated  by  the  letter  "  b  "  before 
the  name  Squab.  Now  you  are  ready  to  talk 
to  the  agent  when  he  is  at  liberty  and  you 
can  ask  him  to  explain  the  meaning  of  the 
sections  you  have  read;  then  say  to  him,  "  What 
would  it  cost  me  to  send  a  forty-pound  box  to 
New  York,"  or  whatever  your  shipping  point 
is.  If  you  think  the  rate  he  quotes  you  too 
much,  kindly  ask  him  to  take  up  the  matter 
with  his  Route  Agent  or  with  his  Superinten- 
dent, and  let  you  know  what  he  finds  out. 
Do  not  go  to  him  for  a  few  days,  say  a  week, 
and  then  drop  in  some  day  and  say,  "Well, 
what  did  you  find  out  about  the  rate  on 
squabs?"  or  "Have  you  heard  anything  aboutthe 
rate  on  squabs?"  and  see  what  he  has  to  offer. 

EXPRESS  RATES  ON  KILLED  SQUABS. 

A  lot  of  letters  have  come  from  squab  shippers 
who  read  the  article  on  express  rates  and  have 
found  out  that  they  have  been  paying  tco 


APPENDIX   G 


403 


-much.  They  have  warm  praise  for  the  infor- 
mation. This  science  or  art  of  finding  out 
what  the  lowest  express  charges  are  for  special 
industries  is  something  to  be  mastered  and 
applied.  It  is  a  very  live  detail  of  salesman- 
ship of  squabs.  Mr.  Swihart  emphasizes  the 
point  that  on  small  shipments  of  squabs  from 
ten  pounds  to  seventy-five  pounds,  as  well  as 
on  large,  not  only  is  the  general  special  rate 
applied,  with  twenty-five  per  cent  off  for  ice, 
but  also  pound  rates  are  applied.  This  means, 
in  effect,  that  twenty  pounds  of  killed  squabs 
can  be  shipped  a  distance  as  far  as  that  from 
Chicago  to  New  York  for  only  thirty-five  cents. 
Mr.  Swihart 's  article  reads  as  if  he  were  at  one 
time  an  express  employee.  This  may  not  be 
true  but  he  certainly  shows  an  expert  knowledge 
of  express  regulations.  It  may  appear  strange 
that  express  regulations  are  unknown,  but  who 
shall  tell?  It  is  true  that  the  rate  book  can  be 
seen,  if  asked  for,  at  every  express  office,  but 
not  one  shipper  in  a  hundred  asks  for  it,  and 
that  one  cannot  stand  at  the  window  studying 
the  book  half  a  day  to  ferret  out  the  truth  as 
applied  to  him. 

A  banker  knows  many  businesses  because  he 
makes  money  at  it.  An  express  agent,  how- 
ever, on  a  salary  of  $6  to  $12  a  week,  has  no 
motive  to  know  other  businesses  and  tell  every 
business  man  how  to  ship.  That  is  the  busi- 
ness man's  business.  The  producers  of  this 
country  know  nothing  about  express  rates  and 
should  be  told  regularly  in  the  public  prints 
not  only  how  to  sell  their  goods,  but  also  how 
to  ship  them.  Not  only  are  squabs  general 
specials,  but  also  (to  name  what  is  of  interest 
to  the  farmer)  dressed  poultry  ot  all  kinds, 
butter,  eggs,  milk,  plants,  berries,  celery, 
maple  sugar,  maple  syrup,  vegetables. 


You  will  recall  my  writing  to  you  that  my 
wife  and  myself  were  intending  to  continue  the 
squab  and  poultry  business  which  she  as  Miss 
Ayres  earned  on  so  successfully  with  your 
Homers  in  New  Jersey,  and  now  that  we  have 
settled  in  our  new  home  here,  I  wanted  you  to 
know  that  sometime  during  this  month  you 


ill  again  hear  from  us,  giving  an  order  for 
bly  one  hundred  birds  and  supplies  as 
described  in  the  special  offer  No.  7.  —  William 


R.  Pearsall,  New  York. 

I  have  a  friend  who  intends  to  start  a  large 
squab  plant  up  the  State,  and  think  it  advisable 
for  you  to  get  in  touch  with  him  at  once.  His 
name  is  enclosed.  I  have  bought  some  birds 
from  you  and  am  well  pleased.  If  I  can  do 
anything  more  for  you  would  be  pleased.  —  R. 
S.  Quinlan,  New  York. 

You  will  remember  that  I  purchased  one  pair 
of  Carneaux  of  you  about  three  years  ago.  I 
lost  the  female  the  first  year  after  raising 
about  twenty  birds.  I  still  have  the  old  cock, 
and  have  sold  a  number  of  pairs  of  breeders  and 
lots  of  squabs  and  still  have  over  seventy-five 
pairs  of  breeders  and  all  fine,  first-class  birds 
which  I  can  only  thank  you  for.  I  am  getting 


$6  a  dozen  for  all  of  my  squabs  at  home  trade 
and  could  sell  three  times  the  amount  if  I  had 
them.  I  am  strongly  thinking  of  adding  more 
breeders.  Please  send  me  one  of  your  1913 
catalogues  and  price  list  of  pigeons  and  supplies. 
— E.  P.  Tharp,  Indiana. 

The  dozen  pairs  of  pigeons  which  we  bought 
of  you  the  first  of  June,'  1912,  are  doing  finely. 
We  have  over  ninety  birds  at  present  (January 
7)  which  we  consider  doing  well,  as  we  knew 
nothing  whatever  about  pigeons  —  merely  be- 
came interested  in  their  beauty  at  the  Buffalo 
Poultry  Show  last  January,  but  find  them  ex- 
ceedingly interesting,  and  hope  to  build  up  a 
plant  of  profitable  size.  Hope  to  order  some 
Carneaux  in  the  spring. — Mrs.  W.  M.  Chad- 
wick,  New  York. 

I  have  read  and  reread  your  dollar  Manual 
several  times,,  and  think  it  the  plainest  and 
most  concise  work  of  its  kind  I  have  ever  read, 
and  I  want  to  thank  you  for  putting  such  a 
book  before  me.  (Mr.  Locke  is  superintendent 
of  the  Mountain  View  Poultry  Plant). — Charles 
M.  Locke,  New  Jersey. 

There  is  surely  a  difference  between  common 
pigeons  and  Homers.  This  may  be  of  some 
interest  to  those  who  read  the  magazine,  also 
to  any  one  who  thinks  common  pigeons  are 
more  profitable  than  Homers.  To  see  the 
difference  I  weighed  some  squabs  of  the  com- 
mons and  the  highest  were  nine  ounces  apiece 
at  four  weeks  old.  Then  I  weighed  one  squab 
of  my  Plymouth  Rock  Homers,  four  weeks  old, 
and  it  weighed  16^6  ounces.  I  also  weighed 
one  of  my  older  birds  (Homer)  and  it  weighed 
17^3  ounces.  How's  that?  No  other  Homers 
breed  so  large  a  squab  as  the  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers.— Wesley  E.  Budde,  Illinois. 

I  have  been  in  the  squab  business  two  years 
and  have  had  lots  of  experience  and  disap- 
pointments. I  started  with  six  pairs  of  pi- 
geons, mostly  common  stock.  They  did  fairly 
well  and  after  a  few  weeks  I  bought  some  more. 
Now,  if  they  had  been  all  Homers,  I  would 
have  had  twice  the  number  of  squabs  I  am 
getting  now.  In  August,  1912,  I  bought  three 
pairs  of  Plymouth  Rock  Homers  and  have 
never  regretted  it.  I  have  made  a  pair  of 
Carneaux  raise  Homer  squabs  for  me.  I  throw 
their  eggs  away  after  testing  them  and  put 


Homer  eggs  under  them.  I  expect  to  enlarge 
my  plant  in  the  spring  with  Plymouth  Rock 
stock.— Mazwell  McCollough,  Iowa. 


I  was  pleased  to  receive  your  dollar  Manual, 
which  I  consider  to  be  the  best  book  I  have  yet 
read  on  the  subject  of  pigeons.  Since  reading 
it  I  have  determined  to  have  a  shot  ' '  at  squab 
raising.  I  have  had  pigeons  for  twelve  years, 
so  I  ought  to  know  something  about  them  and 
also  books. — R.  M.  Thomson,  New  Zealand. 

The  birds  purchased  from  you  a  year  ago  are 
beating  everything  in  my  pens  as  fast  workers. 
—Joseph  McGurk,  New  Jersey. 


404 


APPENDIX   G 


HOW  A  FRENCH  CHEF  COOKS  HIS 
SQUABS,  by  A.  Escoffier.  To  the  optimistic 
American  a  pigeon  is  nearly  always  a  squab, 
just  as  a  hen  is  always  a  chicken.  In  the 
following  receipts  a  pigeon  may  be  replaced  by 
a  well-grown  squab,  but  in  cases  where  genuine 
squabs  from  three  to  four  weeks  old  must  be 
used,  that  word  squab  is  employed.  The  meat 
of  the  pigeon,  though"  dark,  has  an  excellent 
flavor,  is  tender,  stimulating,  easily  digested. 
It  is  very  suitable  for  delicate  persons  who 
need  good  nourishment.  The  squab  is  a  par- 
ticularly delicate  food.  It  may  be  eaten  from 
twelve  to  thirty  days  after  hatching.  The 
pigeon  may  be  served  in  many  ways  —  as  an 
entree,  in  a  compote,  in  a  pate,  as  a  galantine, 
cold  in  a  deep  dish,  or  "en  terrine,"  as  we  say 
in  France. 

Pigeon  Soup  with  Curry 

This  is  one  of  the  most  delicious  and  nourish- 
ing soups  of  our  cuisine. 

The  following  quantities  of  materials  will 
provide  soup  for  six  persons:  Two  large  pi- 
geons, cleaned,  singed  and  each  divided  into  four 
pieces;  two  large  onions  chopped  up;  two  large 
soupspoonfuls  of  butter,  three  soupspoonfuls  of 
curry  powder,  five  pints  of  water,  half  an  ounce 
of  salt,  a  bouquet  made  of  sprigs  of  parsley, 
a  bay  leaf  and  a  mite  of  garlic  (the  last  named 
being  quite  optional)  and  six  to  eight  table- 
spoonfuls  of  rice. 

Melt  the  butter  in  a  saucepan,  add  the  onion 
and  let  it  cook  for  several  minutes  on  a  gentle 
fire.  Add  the  pigeons  and  cook  them  from  ten 
to  twelve  minutes  with  the  onion.  Then  pour 
the  curry  powder  over  them.  Stir  the  whole 
with  a  spoon  and  add  the  water,  salt  and  the 
bouquet.  Bring  the  liquid  to  a  boil  and  coyer 
the  saucepan.  After  fifteen  minutes'  cooking 
add  the  rice  and  let  it  cook  twenty  to  twenty- 
five  minutes  and  serve. 

The  above  receipt  is  reduced  to  its  most 
simple  form,  and  is  very  suitable  for  a  small 
household.  The  soup,  however,  may  be  re- 
fined by  replacing  the  water  with  bouillon 
(broth)  by  straining  the  onion  after  cooking 
through  a  fine  strainer,  and  by  only  using  the 
filets  of  the  pigeons,  after  removing  the  skin, 
and  cutting  the  filets  in  squares,  which  you  add 
at  the  moment  of  serving  to  the  boiling  soup, 
with  several  tablespoonfuls  of  rice  cooked  in 
broth. 

Pigeon  and  Barley  Soup 

The  following  quantities  are  sufficient  for  six 
persons:  Two  large  pigeons  cleaned,  singed 
and  divided  into  four  parts;  one  large  onion 
chopped  fine,  two  medium-sized  carrots  cut  in 
little  squares,  six  to  eight  tablespoonfuls  of 
cleaned  barley,  two  large  soupspoonfuls  of  but- 
ter, half  an  ounce  of  suet,  a  pinch  of  pepper,  a 
bay  leaf  and  three  pints  of  water. 

Melt  the  butter  in  a  saucepan,  add  the  onion 
and  let  it  cook  several  minutes  on  a  gentle  fire. 
Then  add  the  pigeons,  cook  them  eight  to  ten 
minutes  with  the  onion.  Then  add  the  carrots, 
barley,  water,  salt,  pepper  and  the  bay  leaf. 
Cover  the  saucepan  and  let  it  boil  on  a  gentle 
fire  for  about  an  hour  and  a  quarter. 


This  soup  may  be  improved  in  the  manner 
indicated  in  the  other  soups.  A  few  spoonfuls 
of  green  peas  during  the  season  will  give  it  a 
particularly  exquisite  flavor. 

Cream  of  Pigeon  Soup 

Quantities  for  six  persons:  Two  pigeons, 
cleaned,  singed  and  divided  into  four  parts; 
one  large  onion  chopped  up,  two  large  soup- 
spoonfuls  of  butter,  half  an  ounce  of  salt,  one 
pinch  of  pepper,  six  to  eight  soupspoonfuls  of 
flour,  one  bouquet  made  of  parsley  sprigs,  a 
bay  leaf  and  sprigs  of  thyme  well  tied  together, 
two  full  quarts  of  water  and  half  a  pint  of  fresh 
cream. 

Melt  the  butter  in  a  saucepan,  add  the  onion 
and  the  pigeons,  let  them  cook  for  about  fifteen 
minutes  on  a  gentle  fire  and  then  mix  in  the 
flour.  Let  them  cook  again  for  a  few  minutes, 
add  the  water  and  bring  the  liquid  to  a  boil, 
taking  care  to  stir  the  mixture  with  a  wooden 
spoon,  so  that  the  flour  may  be  well  dissolved 
and  not  stick  to  the  bottom  of  the  saucepan. 
At  the  first  boiling  remove  the  saucepan  to  the 
corner  of  the  fire  and  then  add  the  salt,  pepper 
and  the  bouquet.  Let  it  cook  again  at  a  gentle 
fire  for  about  an  hour. 

Finally  remove  the  pieces  of  pigeon.  Cut 
the  lean  meat  in  squares  and  keep  it  warm. 
Strain  the  soup  through  a  fine  tammy  or 
strainer  and  put  it  back  in  a  fresh,  clean  sauce- 
pan, keeping  it  hot. 

At  the  moment  of  serving  add  the  cream, 
mixing  it  well  with  the  soup,  which  should  be 
boiling.  Pour  it  into  a  soup  tureen  with  the 
little  squares  of  meat  you  have  kept  in  reserve. 

You  may  also  at  the  time  of  serving  add  to 
this  cream  some  spoonfuls  of  rice  or  cooked 
barley  or  Italian  paste. 

Pigeon  and  Tomato  Soup 

The  preparation  of  this  soup  is  nearly  the 
same  as  the  preceding,  except  that  the  curry  is 
replaced  by  seven  to  eight  large  firm  tomatoes, 
skinned,  seeded  and  chopped  up.  The  bouquet 
is  made  of  the  same  materials,  the  proportions 
of  water,  salt  and  rice  are  the  same,  but  you 
must  add  also  a  pinch  of  pepper. 

This  receipt  may  also  be  elaborated  for  more 
expensive  tastes,  as  the  other  soup  is. 

When  fresh  tomatoes  are  not  obtainable  they 
may  be  replaced  by  tomato  puree. 

Pigeon  and  Pea  Soup  a  la  Paysanne 

Quantities  for  six  persons:  Two  pigeons, 
cleaned  and  singed;  one  large  or  several  small 
new  onions  chopped  up ;  two  saucespoonfuls  of 
butter;  two  ounces  of  lean  bacon,  cut  in  small 
squares;  a  quart  of  large  peas;  two  lettuces, 
well  cleaned  and  cut  in  squares;  half  an  ounce 
of  salt,  a  pinch  of  pepper,  a  piece  of  sugar,  five 
pints  of  hot  water,  a  bouquet  garni  made  of 
sprigs  of  parsley  and  a  bay  leaf. 

Melt  the  bacon  and  butter  in  a  saucepan. 
Add  the  onion  and  the  pigeons.  Let  them 
cook  ten  to  twelve  minutes  on  a  gentle  fire. 
Then  add  the  peas,  the  lettuce,  the  water,  the 
salt,  the  pepper,  the  sugar  and  the  bouquet. 


APPENDIX   G 


405 


Bring  the  liquid  to  a  boil  and  then  cook  at  a 
gentle  fire  for  forty-five  to  fifty  minutes. 

Cut  the  lean  meat  from  the  pigeon,  then  cut 
it  in  small  squares  and  keep  it  hot.  At  the 
time  of  serving  add  two  soupspoonfuls  of  fine 
butter,  mixing  it  well,  and  pour  the  soup, 
which  should  be  boiling,  into  a  soup  tureen,  in 
which  you  have  previously  placed  the  squares 
of  meat. 

Pigeon  Saute  a  la  Paysanne 

Quantities:  Two  pigeons,  cleaned,  singed 
and  divided  into  two  parts;  two  soupspoonfuls 
of  butter,  four  tablespoonfuls  of  lean  bacon,  cut 
in  little  dice ;  two  medium-sized  onions,  chopped 
up;  six  medium-sized  potatoes,  cut  in  small 
dice;  salt,  pepper  and  chopped  parsley. 

Melt  the  butter  and  the  bacon  in  a  frying  pan 
or  sauteing  dish,  and  add  the  pigeons,  which 
you  cook  gently.  After  fifteen  minutes'  cook- 
ing add  the  onions,  the  salt  and  the  pepper;  let 
the  onions  cook  for  several  minutes  and  add  the 
potatoes. 

Finish  cooking  and  add  a  little  good  gravy  if 
possible  and  some  chopped  parsley  at  the  mo- 
ment of  serving. 

This  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  favored 
methods  of  cooking  pigeons  in  the  country. 
Like  many  of  our  most  savory  dishes,  it  origi- 
nated in  the  home  of  the  farmer,  as  its  name, 
"  a  la  paysanne,"  indicates. 

Estouffade  of  Squabs  or  Squab  Stew 

Take  two  or  three  squabs,  cleaned  and  pre- 
pared for  cooking,  but  not  tied  up;  roast  them 
lightly  and  then  put  them  in  a  terrine  (a  deep 
earthenware  dish  of  French  design).  Add  to 
the  cooking  liquor  a  glass  of  cognac  and  a  glass 
of  white  wine;  boil  it  several  seconds  and  pour 
it  all  over  the  pigeons. 

Surround  the  pigeons  with  several  little 
onions,  browned  in  butter,  and  twenty  fresh 
mushrooms,  cut  in  quarters  and  sauteed  in  but- 
ter. Season  with  salt  and  pepper.  Add  sev- 
eral tablespoonfuls  of  good  gravy.  Lay  over 
the  pigeons  several  slices  of  lean  bacon,  slightly 
browned  in  butter. 

Cover  the  terrine  close  and  cook  at  a  gentle 
fire  fifty  minutes  and  serve. 

Estouffade  of  Squab  a  la  Cavalier! 

This  is  a  more  refined  and  expensive  method 
of  preparing  the  squabs  than  the  preceding: 

Roast  the  squabs  lightly  in  butter  and  put 
them  in  the  terrine  with  their  cooking  butter, 
cognac  and  white  wine.  Then  surround  them 
with  a  dozen  small  lamb  sweetbreads,  slightly 
browned  in  butter,  a  few  slices  of  truffles,  cut 
rather  thick,  and  a  few  spoonfuls  of  good  veal 
gravy,  the  whole  well  seasoned.  Cook  gently 
in  the  oven  for  about  fifty  minutes. 

This  and  the  preceding  dish  have  the  ad- 
vantage that  they  can  be  eaten  hot  or  cold. 

Stuffed  Pigeons 

Take  two  pigeons,  cleaned  and  singed,  and 
prepare  the  following  stuffing:  A  soupspoonful 
of  butter,  three  soupspoonfuls  of  lean  bacon; 
the  livers  of  the  pigeons,  chopped  up;  three 
tablespoonfuls  of  bread  crumbs,  white  and 


fresh;  half  a  soupspoonful  of  chopped  onion,  a 
coffeespoonful  of  chopped  parsley,  salt,  pepper, 
spice  and  two  yolks  of  eggs. 

Melt  the  butter  in  a  saucepan,  add  the  onion, 
let  it  cook  gently  six  to  eight  minutes  and  then 
add  the  bacon.  As  soon  as  this  is  slightly 
heated,  add  the  pigeons'  livers  and,  if  possible, 
two  or  three  chickens'  livers,  the  bread  crumbs, 
the  chopped  parsley,  salt,  pepper  and  yolks  of 
eggs.  Stuff  the  pigeons,  tie  them  up  with  the 
feet  turned  in,  and  cook  them  in  a  saucepan 
thirty  to  thirty-five  minutes  at  a  gentle  fire. 
At  the  moment  of  serving,  untie  the  pigeons, 
put  them  back  in  the  saucepan,  with  several 
soupspoonfuls  of  good  gravy  or  hot  water. 
Give  them  several  seconds'  boiling  so  that  the 
gravy  and  cooking  butter  may  be  well  mixed. 

GOOD  SQUAB  RECEIPTS,  by  Mrs.  E.  E. 

Wygant.  Singe,  split  down  the  back  and  dress 
as  for  chicken;  season  with  pepper  and  salt, 
parsely  and  onion,  celery  and  bay  leaves,  a 
few  slices  of  bacon,  and  baste  with  melted 
butter  and  water  while  baking  about  an  hour; 
include  the  giblets  in  the  baking. 

(2)  Clean  and  dress  as  for  turkey,  let  them 
drain,  and  stuff  with  a  moist  dressing  over 
night,  made  of  bread  crumbs,  onions,  pepper, 
salt,  parsley,  celery,  and  a  few  English  walnuts, 
and  fasten  a  small  piece  of  bacon  on  each 
breast  with  a  tooth  pick,  baste  often  with  melted 
butter  and  water,  and  serve  on  lettuce  leaves. 


YOUTH  AND  MATURITY,  by  F.  M.  Gil- 
bert. Another  joke!  I  get  letter  after  letter 
from  parties  wanting  pigeons,  with  this  clause, 
"  they  must  not  be  over  one  year  old."  Now 
what  idiot  has  been  telling  or  writing  that 
.pigeons  breed  best  when  a  year  old?  And  these 
men  believe  it  or  they  wouldn't  make  the 
stipulation.  Suppose  I  give  balm  to  a  few 
minds.  I  imported  Derby  (once  champion  of 
England)  when  he  was  twelve  years  old.  He 
died  at  twenty  from  a  cold.  Dundee,  the 
father  of  the  crack  birds  that  Messrs.  Topping, 
Kelley  and  others  of  Chicago  showed,  was 
seven  years  old  when  he  came  over.  I  showed 
K.  C.  at  the  first  show  Kansas  City  ever  gave, 
and  I  heard  of  him  two  years  ago  in  the  East, 
still  breeding  and  doing  well.  I  bred  Unser 
Fritz  and  Seventy-Six  for  some  twelve  years. 
I  bought  the  Palace  cock  at  two  years  old  and 
never  got  a  fertile  egg  till  he  was  seven.  The 
very  best  pair  of  producers  I  ever  owned  — 
the  pair  that  bred  me  birds  which  brought  $250 
in  one  season,  were  so  old  that  they  were  get- 
ting coarse  about  the  necks. 

UNBOUND  VOLUMES  OF  THE  SQUAB 
MAGAZINE.  Unbound  volumes  of  the  Na- 
tional  Squab  Magazine,  that  is,  the  twelve  issues 
of  each  year,  tied  in  one  package,  for  the  years 
1910,  1911,  1912,  1913,  1914,  and  so  on,  are  for 
sale,  transportation  prepaid  anywhere,  for  one 
dollar.  For  the  first  year.  1909,  only  the  bound 
volume  is  offered  (and  only  a  few  left  of  them) 
for  $2.50,  transportation  prepaid  anywhere. 


406 


APPENDIX   G 


got  a  sil 
Homers.- 


I  will  now  leave  it  all  to  you  in  regard  to 
sending  me  another  pair.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  do 
business  with  you.  There  are  so  many  dis- 
honest people  in  business  that  a  person  doesn't 
know  whom  to  deal  with,  but  I  will  say  for  the 
Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company,  I  will  have 
no  hesitancy  in  recommending  you  to  others. — 
Clarence  Kerr,  Ohio. 

I  am  glad  to  state  that  I  just  took  two  blue 
ribbons  at  the  Pigeon  Show  of  the  California 
Pigeon  Club,  Oakland,  1912.  They  were  won 
by  two  pens  of  Exhibition  Homers,  Red  Barred, 
Silvers  and  Black  Homers.  They  were  bred 
from  the  stock  that  I  bought  from  the  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Squab  Company  two  years  ago. 
These  birds,  also  your  Carneaux,  are  excellent 
breeders,  raising  fat,  white-meated  squabs. 
I  handle  the  squabs  of  a  good  many  other 
people  here  and  noticed  that  those  that  have 
Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Company  stock  are 
always  sending  me  the  best. — Stefan  Schwarz, 
California. 

As  you  wanted  to  know  how  I  made  out  at 
our  show  with  Plymouth  Rock  pigeons,  I  am 
proud  to  say:  I  showed  16  birds  and  got  14 
ribbons  —  7  blues,  4  reds  and  3  yellows,  also 
silver  cup  for  best  display  of  working 
i.— William  R.  Mollineaux,  New  York. 

It  may  interest  you  to  know  that  my  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Carneaux  took  the  blue  ribbon 
over  all  exhibits  of  their  class  at  the  poultry 
show  last  week. — Dr.  C.  L.  Rion,  State  of  Wash- 
ington. 

Enclosed  you  will  find  two  dollars,  for  which 
please  send  me  by  first  boat  one  hundred 
pounds  of  your  Plymouth  Rock  Health  Grit. 
There  is  nothing  which  will  take  its  place.  My  « 
birds  are  doing  nicely  now.  They  have  gone 
to  work  in  earnest.  I  will  send  some  more 
pictures  soon. — Mrs.  H.  F.  Maxwell,  Florida. 

You  will  recollect  that  I  bought  from  you  six 
or  seven  lots  of  the  Extra  Homers.  These  have 
given  excellent  satisfaction.  At  present  I  am 
breeding  about  ten  dozen  squabs  per  week  from 
eight  hundred  breeders.  Practically  all  of 
these  have  been  raised  from  your  Extra  Homers 
within  the  last  two  years.  Your  Extra  Hom- 
ers are  breeding  nine  to  eleven-pound  squabs 
for  us  regularly. — K.  C.  Jursek,  Pennsylvania. 

We  are  more  than  delighted  with  the  birds 
we  bought  of  you  nearly  two  years  ago.  We 
have  now  250  pairs,  besides  selling  most  of  our 
young  squabs  at  fifty  cents  each.  You  remem- 
ber we  started  with  twenty-five  pairs.  We  are 
going  to  extend  our  plant  and  order  some 
Carneaux.— Lewis  A.  Briggs,  Rhode  Island. 

SIX  TO  SIX  HUNDRED,  by  A.  S.  Temple, 
New  York.  I  started  in  the  squab  business 
June  15,  1910,  with  three  pairs  of  Extra  Homers 
which  I  purchased  from  you,  and  the  flock  has 
increased  (January  7,  1913)  to  more  than  six 
hundred  birds  that  will  all  be  old  enough  to  be 


workers  by  April  1,  1913,  and  I  have  kept  only 
the  best  of  the  production,  killing  and  selling  or 
using  for  our  own  table  all  that  were  not  up  to 
standard  in  size.  Some  of  my  best  squabs 
weighed  from  sixteen  to  twenty  ounces  at 
twenty-seven  to  thirty  days  of  age.  We  are  in 
the  business  to  stay,  and  think  after  I  get  a 
steady  market  for  my  production  will  increase 
my  flock  by  buying  mated  pairs  from  you,  as 
it  is  quicker  than  waiting  to  raise  them,  although 
the  experience  of  the  past  two  years  with  the 
aid  of  your  invaluable  squab  book  has  been  of 
great  advantage  to  me. 

$7.50  TO  $9  A  DOZEN,  by  Karl  C.  Jursek. 

We  are  receiving  from  private  families  from 
$7.50  to  $9  for  nine  and  ten-pound  Plymouth 
Rock  Homer  squabs.  From  hotels  this  month 
(January)  we  received  $6.25  to  $7  for  nine-and- 
one-half  to  ten-and-one-half-pound  squabs.  In 
this  list  are  included  the  Fort  Pitt,  Lincoln, 
Henry  and  Monongahela  houses.  We  cannot 
of  course  give  a  list  of  the  private  families.  We 
start  building  a  good-sized  addition  in  the 
spring. 

NO  SET  RULES,  by  Fred  H.  Dodge.  Please 
tell  me  the  cost  of  keeping  for  one  year  one 
hundred  pairs  of  breeding  pigeons  at  the  present 
prices  of  pigeon  grains.  How  many  squabs 
could  I  market  by  taking  the  best  care  of  the 
birds?  Answer.  The  matters  you  speak  of 
vary  up  and  down  the  scale  with  management. 
We  cannot  give  you  a  set  of  rules,  nor  can  any- 
body. You  might  get  a  certain  number  of 
squabs  per  year  while  another  breeder  more 
skilful  might  get  more,  or  still  another  person 
not  so  skilful  would  get  less.  The  same  applies 
to  grain,  whether  you  buy  it  in  paper  bags,  as 
the  owners  of  a  few  pairs  do,  or  whether  you 
buy  it  in  100-pound  lots  or  whether  you  buy  it 
in  ton  lots.  The  best  guide  for  you  is  to  read 
actual  experiences  in  which  breeders  tell  in  their 
own  words  what  they  have  accomplished. 
Success  with  squabs  depends  more  on  your  acts 
than  on  what  you  may  read  or  not  read,  al- 
though you  should  study  as  much  as  you  car 
and  then  adapt  yourself  accordingly. 

BOSTON  GLOBE  QUOTATIONS  ON 
SQUABS.  January  26,  1912,  $5  and  $6  a 
dozen.  February  16,  1912,  $5  and  $6.50  a 
dozen.  March  1,  1912,  $6  and  $7.50  a  dozen. 

HOW  SPLIT  PEANUTS  FATTENED  OUR 
SQUABS,  by  H.  A.  Henkel.  We  are  located 
right  on  the  western  edge  of  the  peanut  belt 
and  up  to  two  months  ago  had  never  thought 
of  peanuts  as  a  food  for  pigeons.  However, 
after  learning  that  pigeons  were  very  fond  of 
them,  we  decided  to  give  them  a  thorough  trial 
and  secured  from  one  of  the  big  shellers  a  few 
hundred  pounds.  These  we  commenced  feed- 
ing to  our  birds  in  one  pen  which  contained 
thirty-five  pairs.  We  thought  it  best  to  feed 
only  to  one  pen  of  birds  for  a  while  to  see  how 
the  breeders  thrived  and  how  the  squabs  would 
be.  We  fed  this  pen  of  birds  a  proportioned 
mixture  of  kaffir  corn,  cracked  corn,  red  wheat. 


APPENDIX   G 


407 


and  sorghum  seed  in  a  Jencks'  self-feeder,  and 
every  night  and  morning  we  fed  in  an  open 
trough  one  quart  of  cracked  peanuts.  The 
birds  were  in  excellent  condition,  and  the  squabs 
were  fully  up  to  those  that  were  in  the  other 
twenty-four  pens  that  had  been  fed  a  large 
per  cent  of  Canada  peas  and  other  costly  grains. 

After  this  test  we  commenced  feeding  all 
our  birds  a  mixture  similar  to  the  above,  which 
gave  results  equally  as  gratifying  as  were 
obtained  from  the  more  costly  grains.  We 
find,  however,  that  the  feeding  of  the  peanuts 
in  a  separate  trough  is  an  unnecessary  trouble, 
and  recently  we  have  been  mixing  the  peanuts 
with  the  other  grains.  The  mixture  is  as 
follows,  and  we  guarantee  it  will  produce 
squabs  equally  as  heavy,  if  not  heavier,  than 
those  produced  with  the  more  costly  grains. 
The  grains  proportioned  as  follows  will  give 
best  results:  200  pounds  kaffir  corn,  100  pounds 
good  red  wheat,  100  pounds  good,  sound  cracked 
corn,  and  75  to  100  pounds  cracked  peanuts. 
The  kaffir  corn  costs  us  $2  per  100  pounds, 
wheat  S1.50,  cracked  corn  $1.65,  and  the  pea- 
nuts at  present  $1.80  per  bushel.  At  these 
figures  this  mixture  can  be  made  for  $2  per  100 
pounds.  Of  course,  in  localities  where  grains 
can  be  secured  for  less  than  kaffir  corn,  wheat, 
and  cracked  corn,  it  would  be  advisable  to 
feed  them  instead.  Always  adapt  your  feeding 
to  the  grains  that  are  to  be  had  at  the  lowest 
prices  in  your  town.  In  most  every  section  of 
the  United  States  certain  grains  can  be  secured 
to  mix  with  peanuts  that  will  make  an  excellent 
feed  which  will  not  cost  more  than  $2  per  100 
pounds. 

On  September  18  we  shipped  north  fourteen 
and  one-half  dozen  Plymouth  Rock  Homer 
squabs  which  were  the  first  we  have  shipped 
that  had  been  fed  on  peanuts  from  the  start. 
They  were  nearer  one  size  than  any  lot.we  have 
ever  shipped,  nice  large  white  ones,  and  I 
think  will  bring  better  prices  than  any  we  have 
shipped  this  year.  Just  two  days  previous  to 
this  we  shipped  from  these  same  houses  five 
dozen  Plymouth  Rock  Homer  squabs  that 
weighed  ten  pounds  to  the  dozen. 

PEANUTS  HAVE  OVER  40  PER  CENT 
PROTEIN,  by  Edward  E.  Evans.  Until  squab 
and  pigeon  breeders  learn  what  constitutes 
food  value,  until  they  learn  why  the  American 
farmer  pays  $25  per  ton  for  one  kind  of  feed 
and  $45  per  ton  for  another  kind,  there  is  no 
use  to  talk  or  write  about  peas,  cowpeas  or 
soys.  The  general  idea  seems  to  be  that  bulk 
as  compared  with  price  is  all  there  is  to  the  feed 
question.  When  your  people  learn  that  on  the 
basis  of  absolute  food  value  a  bushel  of  peas  is 
worth  two  and  one-half  bushels  of  wheat,  they 
will  begin  to  know  something  about  squab 
production  on  a  paying  basis. 

Red  wheat  is  today  two  and  one-half  to 
three  times  as  expensive  as  peas,  while  weed 
seeds  and  wild  grass  seeds  (the  seeds  of  fox- 
tail, pigeon  grass  and  barnyard  grassl  are  not 
ny  better.  The  money  that  it  takes  today  to 
feed  units  of  kaffir  corn,  will  pay  for 


buy  el 

twenty-eight    units    if    expended    in 


peas.     I 


notice  that  a  great  number  of  so-called  "  bal- 
anced ration  "  feeds,  composed  of  a  mixture 
of  grains,  hemp,  millet  and  weed  seeds,  are 
being  sold  all  over  the  country,  in  direct  viola- 
tion of  the  Pure  Food  act.  No  such  mixture 
contains  to  exceed  twelve  per  cent  protein  and 
most  of  them  contain  much  less.  The  only 
way  to  balance  a  pigeon  ration  is  by  the  use  of 
legume  seeds,  i.e.,  Canada  peas,  soy  beans, 
vetches,  cowpeas,  horse  beans  or  peanuts. 
Later.  Do  not  misinterpret  the  statement  I 
made  in  my  previous  letter  regarding  mixtures 
of  grain.  The  Pure  Food  act  does  not  stipu- 
late that  such  a  mixture  shall  contain  a  certain 
specified  amount  of  protein,  nor  did  I  state  that 
it  did.  My  complaint  was  that  a  great  many 
mixtures  of  grains  and  seeds  were  being  offered 
on  the  market  as  "  balanced  rations,"  which 
they  certainly  are  not.  A  mixture  of  cereal 
grains  and  seeds  such  as  millet,  hemp  and  wild 
seed,  no  matter  how  many  different  species  or 
varieties,  cannot  under  the  act  be  called  a 
"  balanced  ration,"  for  the  reason  that  the 
above-mentioned  seeds  and  cereals  contain  only 
from  10  to  12^2  per  cent  of  protein.  A  "  bal- 
anced ration  "  for  pigeons  can  be  obtained  only 
through  the  use  of  legume  seeds,  such  as  peas, 
cowpeas,  soy  beans,  vetches,  etc.,  all  of  which 
contain  from  twenty-five  to  forty-two  per  cent 
protein.  I  notice  that  a  breeder  in  Virginia 
obtains  good  results  from  the  use  of  peanuts. 
This  success  could  not  be  rightly  attributed  to 
the  large  percentage  of  oil  contained  therein. 
As  you  are  doubtless  aware,  vegetable  fats  and 
oils,  in  other  words,  carbon,  do  not  produce 
growth  in  any  animal  body,  but  furnish  energy 
or  motion,  and  some  portion  of  it  is  stored  up 
as  fat.  Peanuts  are  of  such  great  value  to  squab 
raisers  because  they  contain  more  than  forty  per 
cent  actual  protein  and  are  the  richest  in  that 
substance  of  any  material  produced  on  A  merican 
farms.  This  exemplifies  the  statement  made 
in  my  previous  letter,  that  American  pigeon  and 
squab  breeders  have  much  to  learn  of  feeding 
values  as  compared  with  bulk,  and  until  they 
learn  this  they  can  never  buy  feed  intelligently 
nor  use  it  profitably. 

I   HAVE   FOUND   THE   REAL  REMEDY 
FOR  LICE,  by  George  S.  Terry.     It  was  not 

until  my  fourth  year  in  the  squab  business  that 
I  had  any  trouble  with  lice.  I  woke  up  one 
fine  June  morning  to  find  four  hundred  pairs  of 
my  best  birds  affected.  I  consulted  authorities 
who  informed  me  that  lice  were  usually  due  to 
filth  and  poor  management  in  the  loft  and  that 
the  best  cure  was  prevention.  This  was  poor 
consolation  and  useless  advice.  As  a  matter  of 
fact  I  had  always  given  my  birds  the  best  of 
care.  I  never  yet  have  failed  to  make  at  least 
two  dollars  per  pair  per  year  net  profit  from  my 
birds.  Considering  that  I  have  had  no  private 
trade  and  always  sold  to  commission  men,  I 
do  not  think  my  results  show  poor  management 
in  the  loft.  But  the  lice  were  there  and  the 
birds  began  to  show  it.  I  wrote  for  advice  to 
friends.  I  visited  neighboring  and  distant 
lofts.  I  was  variously  advised  but  no  one 
seemed  to  have  a  real  knowledge  of  just  hovt 


408 


APPENDIX   G 


to  rid  a  loft  of  lice.  Some  advised  perman- 
ganate of  potash  in  the  bath  water,  moth  balls 
in  the  nests,  various  kinds  of  insect  powder, 
several  kinds  of  nest  sprays,  carbolized  lime, 
etc.  I  tried  all  these.  For  three  months  I 
wrestled  with  the  lice.  I  caught  and  dusted 
every  bird  at  least  three  different  times.  I  was 
getting  desperate.  I  even  made  a  revolving 
cylinder  or  dust  bag  through  which  I  passed  all 
the  birds.  It  was  an  immense  amount  of  work 
but  did  not  do  the  business.  It  killed  some 
lice,  to  be  sure,  but  in  ten  days  they  were  as 
bad  as  ever.  Finally  I  hit  it,  and  it  is  easy 
when  you  know  how.  Simply  spray  the  birds 
with  a  mixture  of  two-thirds  kerosene  and  one- 
third  crude  carbolic  acid.  I  close  the  birds 
in  the  loft  and  take  a  continuous  spray  pump 
full  of  the  mixture  and  give  their  feathers  a 
good  dose  of  the  evil-smelling  stuff.  I  try 
especially  to  hit  their  backs.  They  sneeze  and 
sputter  and  it  does  spoil  their  beauty  for  a 
while,  but  no  harm  ever  has  resulted  in  my 
lofts.  A  better  and  more  thorough  method  is 
to  catch  each  bird  and  pour  about  a  dessert- 
spoonful among  the  feathers  along  the  back, 
especially  just  above  the  tail.  This  place  is 
the  last  stronghold  of  the  louse.  You  will  find 
him  here  when  he  has  been  driven  from  every 
other  quarter.  This  treatment,  taken  with  the 
tri-weekly  bath  and  the  usual  spraying  of  the 
nestboxes,  has  completely  solved  the  problem 
for  me.  May  it  do  as  much  for  you. 

We  are  to  have  a  poultry  and  pigeon  show 
next  month.  There  are  quite  a  few  people  en- 
gaged in  the  business  here.  I  have  had  a 
couple  of  orders  of  birds  from  you.  I  bought 
them  when  I  was  in  Kellogg,  Idaho.  I  am  not 
engaged  in  the  business  now,  but  intend  to 
start  again  in  the  spring.  I  thought  perhaps 
you  would  like  to  have  some  advertising  left 
at  the  show.  I  am  always  interested  in  telling 
people  about  the  Plymouth  Rock  Squab  Com- 
pany, as  you  sent  me  fine  birds  on  both  of  my 
orders.  I  am  in  a  position  now  to  tell  lots  of 
people  about  you,  as  I  am  soliciting  for  a  tea 
house  here  and  call  on  a  good  many  people 
who  raise  poultry  and  pigeons.  If  you  will 
send  me  some  advertising  I  will  pass  it  out  to 
good  advantage,  and  possibly  I  can  send  you 
on  some  orders.  I  will  feel  amply  paid  if  you 
send  me  good  birds  when  I  order  next  spring. 
The  demand  for  squabs  increases  every  day. 
The  price  paid  depends  on  the  size  and  color 
and  mostly  on  one's  ability  to  sell  them  to  the 
right  people. — G.  Evans,  Utah. 

The  birds  you  sent  me  last  April  are  doing 
nicely.  Have  saved  considerable  squabs  as 
breeders,  and  have  sold  enough  -to  more  than 
pay  '.or  feed.  I  have  never  sold  squabs  for 
less  than  $3.75  per  dozen  to  dealers,  and  re- 
ceive $6  per  dozen  from  private  trade.  These 
were  raised  from  your  Extra  Homers.  Have 
had  squabs  run  as  high  as  seventeen  ounces, 
but  they  average  fourteen  ounces  each.  You 
can  use  above  as  an  unsolicited  testimonial  if 
you  wish.  Yours  for  continued  success. — H.  A. 
Parkhurst,  New  Jersey. 


I  recently  moved  to  Utah  from  Bedford, 
Indiana,  and  while  in  Bedford  I  bought  some 
Homers  from  you.  They  were  beauties,  and 
I  can't  get  along  without  some  pigeons  out 
here.  The  prospects  for  squab  raising  here  are 
good.  I  am  trying  to  get  some  one  interested 
who  owns  property  and  can  put  up  a  large 
plant.  I  have  misplaced  your  catalogue  and 
must  ask  for  another  one.  Squabs  bring  $6 
to  $7  a  dozen  here  now  (1913). — George  G. 
Crocker,  Utah. 

Plymouth  Rock  squabs  are  bringing  sixty 
cents  apiece  with  prospects  of  very  heavy  sales 
this  winter.  My  private  trade  is  rapidly  in- 
creasing, due  to  the  fact  that  my  customers 
are  doing  a  little  free  advertising  for  me.  A 
satisfied  customer  surely  is  your  best  advertise- 
ment.— R.  W.  Edson,  Ohio. 

Received  your  dollar  Manual  and  it  is  the 
plainest  and  easiest  understood  of  anything 
that  has  ever  come  under  my  eyes.  You  may 
use  my  letter  and  name  if  it  will  help  to  get 
amateurs  to  read  the  Manual,  as  it  is  surely  a 
great  help. — A.  E.  Edgerton,  Michigan. 

I  have  only  a  few  hundred  now,  but  will  en- 
large my  squab  plant  as  it  furnishes  the  capital. 
I  am  greatly  pleased  with  the  magazine  and 
look  to  your  National  Standard  Squab  Book 
for  advice,  and  have  implicit  confidence  in  it. 
I  know  its  advice  is  good  because  I  have  been  in 
the  poultry  business  for  twenty  years,  and  have 
had  pigeons  for  pleasure  and  have  natural  love 
for  all  the  feathered  tribe. — Mrs.  Edith  Love, 
West  Virginia. 

We  find  a  ready  market  for  squabs  in  Chicago 
at  $3.50  for  eight-pound,  $4.50  for  nine-pound 
squabs. >  We  ship  at  3.45  p.m.  and  they  are  in 
Chicago*  for  the  next  morning's  market.  We 
had  a  severe  case  of  canker  in  one  bird,  his  own 
fault,  as  he  must  have  eaten  the  dirty  feed 
from  the  floor,  and  we  cleaned  out  the  mouth 
with  a  bit  of  cotton  wound  around  a  match, 
moistened  with  vaseline,  then  we  covered  the 
spots  with  sulphur.  Had  to  treat  him  for  a 
week  and  a  day  and  the  canker  was  all  gone. — 
Griffin  &  Hazen,  Wisconsin. 

I  went  to  one  of  the  markets  in  Vancouver  to 
buy  a  chicken  and  after  making  a  purchase  I 
inquired  the  price  of  squabs  that  were  in  a 
crate  nearby.  The  marketman  thought  I 
wanted  some,  I  suppose,  and  said,  "  Seventy- 
five  cents  a  pair."  When  he  found  out  that  I 
had  no  intention  of  buying  he  talked  with  me 
about  them  and  said  he  paid  sixty  cents  a  pair 
and  sometimes  more,  but  never  less. — Harry 
Gardner,  British  Columbia. 

An  easy  way  to  lose  money  in  the  squab 
business  is  to  follow  the  advice  of  those  who 
talk  but  have  nothing  to  show  for  their  talking; 
and,  conversely,  the  successful  pigeons  and 
methods  are  found  on  the  places  of  the  money- 
makers, who  have  eager  attention  when  they 
talk  or  write. 


APPENDIX   G 


409 


_,ynn  at 

wanted  six  dollars  a  dozen  for  squabs,  and  they 
were  not  of  extra  quality  either.  They  were 
No.  1  and  had  feathers  on.  Squabs  in  this 
locality  are  scarce  and  the  prices  are  high. 
The  market  I  refer  to  is  the  J.  B.  Blood  Co.,  one 
of  the  largest  markets  in  New  England.  The 
two  squabs  which  I  bought  cost  me  fifty 
cents  apiece  with  feathers  on.  I  enjoyed  them 
after  they  were  cooked.  Yours  for  squab  news 
which  will  be  honest  and  reliable. — W.  D. 
Hayden,  Massachusetts. 

BONES  FOR  NESTS,  by  Lawrence  Walter. 

I  have  one  pair  of  pigeons  which  insist  upon 
building  their  nests  of  bones  that  accumulate 
in  the  chicken  yard.  They  will  do  this  even  if 
I  have  a  bushel  basket  of  tobacco  stems  where 
they  can  get  at  them.  I  also  have  another 
pair  that  lay  four  eggs  every  time,  and  usually 
three  of  them  hatch. 

We  look  forward  to  the  coming  of  the  Squab 
Magazine  with  great  eagerness.  I  get  $4  per 
dozen  for  seven  and  eight-pound  squabs  and 
$4.50  for  nine-pound  squabs  in  Chicago. — Mrs. 
N.  E.  Wilson,  Indiana. 

NEEDS  WAKING  UP,  by  William  Smith.     I 

am  the  only  squab  raiser  in  my  city  in  Michigan, 
and  can  sell  all  I  can  raise  for  seventy-five 
cents  a  pair,  plucked.  I  have  forty  pairs  of 
Homers  and  all  are  doing  splendidly.  Homers 
are  the  best  of  all  my  squabs.  They  weigh 
nine  and  ten  pounds  to  the  dozen.  I  feed 
scratch  feed,  stale  bread  and  whole  corn.  I 
turn  down  orders  every  day  as  high  as  three 
dozen  at  a  time. 

SHAVINGS  FOR  FLOOR,  by  Harry  M. 
Samson.  Speaking  of  flooring  material,  the 
writer  has  tried  pretty  much  everything  within 
his  reach,  good,  bad  and  worse.  For  the  past 
few  years  I  have  used  sand  from  the  Hudson 
River,  making  what  I  considered  an  ideal  cover- 
ing for  two  reasons:  first,  its  cost  was  practically 
nothing;  second,  it  absorbed  the  droppings.. 
What  more  could  one  wish  for?  Recently  I 
stumbled  across  shavings,  a  product  to  be  had 
at  any  sawmill  at  little  or  no  cost.  Believe 
me,  I  was  converted  in  haste,  and  I  will  tell  you 
why.  First  of  all,  they  give  the  loft  a  clean, 
immaculate  appearance,  such  a  thing  as  the 
odor  of  ammonia  being  an  unknown  quantity 
for  the  simple  reason  that  the  shavings  absorb 
the  moisture  at  once,  leaving  the  droppings  in 
the  form  of  dry  manure,  which  is  not  obnoxious, 
and  is  readily  swept  up.  Shavings,  however, 
should  not  be  used  if  the  pure  manure  is  being 
saved  for  tanneries.  9 

OREGON  WOMAN'S  PASTIME,  by  Mrs. 
W.  R.  Lycan.  I  bought  three  pairs  of  your 
best  Homers  in  March,  1908.  Since  then  I 
have  raised  about  sixty  pairs,  all  mated  and 
working  now,  besides  selling  enough  to  pay  all 
expenses  of  feed  for  the  whole  bunch  and  also 
wire  for  fly,  and  I  have  on  the  right  side  of 
ledger  close  to  twenty-five  dollars.  I  pay  here 


(Oregon)  $2.50  per  hundred  for  mixed  pigeon 
feed,  about  the  same  for  kaffir  corn,  $1.95  for 
whole  corn,  about  $1.60  for  good  wheat.  Get 
thirty  cents  each  for  squabs,  killed  and  plucked. 

I  am  getting  $6  a  dozen  for  squabs  at  our 
home  grocer's  and  $7.20  from  my  private  cus- 
tomers and  can  sell  all  I  have.  I  cut  the  head 
off,  pull  the  skin  over  the  neck  and  hold  it 
down,  and  put  wings  back.  I  have  boxes 
which  hold  two  in  oiled  paper.  I  feel  very 
proud  of  my  birds  as  I  take  all  care  of  them, 
cleaning  the  house  once  a  week  thoroughly. — 
Mrs.  A.  Rheinstrom,  Illinois. 

I  have  benefited  much  from  the  magazine 
and  am  selling  my  own  squabs  to  private  trade 
for  fifty  cents  each,  dressing  five  cents  extra, 
and  ten  cents  for  delivery,  Carneaux  squabs 
one  dollar  each,  and  have  all  I  can  do. — Miss 
Marion  S.  Baker,  Massachusetts. 

I  am  getting  $4.25  a  dozen  for  my  squabs  in 
Cincinnati. — Orson  W.  Clark,  Ohio. 

SALT  AND  DAINTIES,  by  E.  J.  Lander. 

Here  is  one  of  my  own  preparations  in  the  way 
of  producing  healthy  squabs :  Take  two  parts 
of  salt,  one  part  of  rice  (ground)  and  one  part  of 
wild  or  mustard  seed.  Put  the  two  parts  of 
salt  and  parts  of  rice  and  wild  seed  together  in 
any  kind  of  receptacle  and  mix  well.  Then 
dampen  this  with  water  and  put  a  pinch  of  red 
pepper  in  the  mixture.  Now  put  in  an  oven 
and  bake  hard.  Be  careful  not  to  get  it  burned. 
Take  out  the  pans  after  the  mixture  has  baked 
hard  and  set  m  a  009!,  dry  place.  The  birds 
eat  this  with  great  relish.  Fellow  breeders,  try 
this,  for  it  makes  the  birds  livelier  and  brings 
good  sound  squabs. 

I  send  you  a  clipping  from  a  Seattle  news- 
paper offering  $4.50  per  dozen  for  squabs 
shipped  alive. — C.  E.  Jackson,  Washington. 

Squabs  are  in  demand  in  our  southern  cities 
at  from  $5  to  $4.50  a  dozen.  Please  send  me 
one  of  your  type  dies.  I  want  to  get  in  the 
game,  so  for  anything  you  can  do  or  say  to  help 
me  I  will  be  very  thankful,  and  will  do  as  much 
as  I  can  to  help  make  the  National  Squab  Breed- 
ers' Association  the  thing.— E.  T.  Heywood, 
Mississippi. 

FEED  IN  MONTANA,  by  J.  P.  Runa.  Ac- 
cording to  my  observations  a  pigeon  eats  nearly 
forty  pounds  of  feed  a  year.  So  far  I  have  been 
feeding  my  pigeons  a  ready-made  mixture. 
But  this  feed  stands  me  more  than  four  cents  a 
pound  laid  down  here  (Montana)  which,  of 
course,  is  too  much.  I  can  buy  turkey  reu 
wheat  here  at  one  and  one-fourth  cents  a  pound, 
barley  at  one  and  one-half  cents  a  pound, 
corn  at  two  cents  a  pound,  and  I  have  a  lot  of 
peas  that  were  raised  together  with  and  mixed 
with  spring  wheat.  Could  I  not  make  a  good 
feeding  mixture  out  of  these?  Answer.  Yes, 
certainly.  The  more  peas  you  use,  the  better 
off  you  will  be  in  eggs  and  squabs.  It  is  not 


410 


APPENDIX   G 


necessary  for  Montana  squab  raisers  to  send 
East  for  their  grain.  They  can  buy  wheat  and 
peas  cheaper  than  eastern  squab  raisers. 

SEATTLE  MARKET,  by  Fred  B.  Lancaster. 
I  have  been  reading  one  of  your  squab  books 
and  believe  you  are  pretty  nearly  right.  I  am 
a  breeder  of  Homers  myself.  I  have  four 
hundred  and  twenty-eight  pairs  of  birds,  and 
fine  ones  too.  I  intend  to  buy  some  more  this 
fall.  I  will  need  some  soon,  as  I  am  now  build- 
ing a  large  house  to  accommodate  about  five 
hundred  more  birds.  _  I  am  now  getting  $5.25 
per  dozen  for  squabs  in  Seattle,  so  you  see  we 
have  a  pretty  good  market  in  the  West,  and 
there  is  always  a  good  demand  for  squabs. 

Pigeons  are  a  good  deal  like  figures  in  one 
respect:  whereas  figures  acquire  their  value 
from  their  position,  so  pigeons  demonstrate 
their  value  through  their  owner. 

The  Pacific  Market  in  Ocean  Park  gives 
$4.50  a  dozen  for  squabs,  and  sells  them  for 
$5  or  $6.  The  City  Market  gives  $3  and  sells 
for  $4.50.  I  can  get  sixty  cents  apiece  for 
squabs  from  four  to  five  weeks  old  and  twenty- 
five  cents  for  old  pigeons  per  pair.  The  squab 
is  the  most  tender,  sweetest,  and  most  easily 
digested.  I  would  rather  have  squab  than  any 
other  meat.  A  woman  in  my  neighborhood 
clears  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  dollars  per  month 
from  her  pigeons.  I  have  blue  bar  and  blue 
checker  Homers. — Homer  E.  Vincent,  Cali- 
fornia. 

I  raise  squabs  over  a  pound  apiece,  getting  as 
much  as  five  dollars  per  dozen.  I  am  building 
larger  this  spring. — Ernest  Madsen,  Massa- 
chusetts. 

Prices  in  San  Francisco  fluctuate  according 
to  supply.  On  one  occasion  I  was  quoted 
common  squabs  at  twenty  cents  each,  Ply- 
mouth Rock  Homer  squabs  at  forty-five  and 
fifty  cents  each.  About  four  weeks  later  or 
during  April,  1912,  I  was  quoted  common 
squabs  at  two  dollars  per  dozen,  Homer  squabs 
at  three  and  four  dollars  per  dozen.  Prices 
in  Berkeley  (May  22,  1912):  common  squabs 
$2.75  to  $3.25  per  dozen.  Homer  squabs  $3.50 
to  $4.50  per  dozen.  One  market  quoted  the 
Homer  squabs  at  strictly  forty-five  cents  each. 
—Harry  Preiss,  California. 

WOMAN  GETS  $5  FOR  EIGHT-POUND 
SQUABS,  by  Mrs.  W.  A.  Roth.  In  1908  I  had 
a  severe  attack  of  the  squab  breeder's  fever, 
brought  on  by  reading  everything  I  could  get 
on  the  subject.  I  had  never  seen  any  but  com- 
mon pigeons  fly  ing  around.  After  reading  Mr. 
Rice's  Manual  I  decided  I  could  do  what  others 
had  done.  I  bought  twenty-five  pairs  of 
Homers  and  later  twenty-five  pairs  more,  with 
a  pair  of  Carneaux.  At  first  I  fed  according 
to  the  advice  given  by  so  many,  two-thirds 
corn,  one-third  wheat  in  winter  and  the  reverse 
in  summer,  with  Canada  peas,  kaffir  corn, 
hempseed,  broken  rice  and  buckwheat.  The 


birds  did  well  on  this  in  the  winter  but  when  the 
hot  weather  came  in  June,  the  squabs  were 
light  in  weight,  some  having  swollen  wing  and 
leg  joints.  I  wrote  to  some  experienced  men 
for  help  and  feel  I  owe  much  of  my  success 
to  them.  They  told  me  the  wheat  was  at  the 
bottom  of  the  trouble  and  never  to  feed  more 
than  one-fourth  wheat  in  the  ration.  I  use 
winter  wheat.  I  have  learned  not  to  let  the 
birds  out  on  the  snow  as  their  cold  feet  chill 
the  eggs  and  prevent  hatching.  My  first  squabs 
I  sold  all  sizes  for  $3  per  dozen.  I  am  now 
selling  eight-pound  squabs  at  $5,  nine-pound 
squabs  at  $6,  twelve-pound  squabs  at  $8  per 
dozen,  less  express  and  commission.  I  have 
nothing  in  my  pens  breeding  less  than  six  pairs 
per  year,  averaging  nine  to  twelve  pounds  per 
dozen.  The  Cameau-Homer  cross  makes  a 
large  squab,  also  Maltese-Homer,  but  I  would 
not  like  to  keep  them  for  breeders  because  a 
well-established  breed  like  pure  Homers  and 
pure  Carneaux,  is  so  much  more  reliable  in 
reproducing  its  characteristics. 

CHICAGO  IS  AN  EXCELLENT  SQUAB 
MARKET,  by  John  Loring  Cook.  I  am  in- 
tensely interested  in  the  squab  business,  and 
it  is  proving  to  be  a  successful  venture.  I 
put  in  five  hundred  birds  first  and  have  slowly 
developed  the  plant  until  I  have  now  five  lofts 
and  about  a  thousand  birds.  Chicago  is  surely 
an  excellent  market,  and  my  plant  is  doing  as 
well  as  could  be  expected.  I  believe  there  is 
good  money  to  be  made  in  the  squab  and  poul- 
try business,  if  the  help  expense  can  be  kept  at 
a  low  figure  and  the  feed  bill  is  properly  regu- 
lated. These  two  items  can  be  kept  clown  if 
one  understands  how  to  do  it.  Feed  should 
not  cost  very  much  over  $1.70  a  hundredweight. 

I  FIND  MUSTARD  SEED  CHEAP  AND 
GOOD,  by  Riley  C.  Clark.  I  think  most  of 
the  pigeon  men  here  feed  a  little  different  than 
in  most  places.  My  main  feed  is  wild  brown 
mustard  seed.  I  have  fed  it  with  good  results 
for  three  years.  I  will  give  my  way  of  feeding. 
One  and  one-half  quarts  wheat  in  morning. 
From  three  to  four  quarts  mustard  seed  at 
noon.  One  and  one-half  to  two  quarts  Egyp- 
tian corn  at  night,  with  a  feed  of  peas  and  rice 
once  a  week  each.  In  each  loft  is  a  feeder 
containing  grit,  charcoal  and  sea-shells,  in  each 
fly  a  piece  of  mineral  salt.  One  reason  I  feed 
more  mustard  seed  is  that  it  is  a  cheaper  feed 
than  anything  else.  It  costs  here  $1.25  per 
one  hundred  pounds;  white  wheat  is  about  $1.60 
and  Egyptian  corn  $1.75  to  $2  per  hundred. 
I  should  like  to  hear  from  some  one  who  has 
tried  mustard  seed.  The  price  of  live  squabs 
here  is  from  $2.50  to  $4.50  f.o.b.,  San  Francisco. 
We  do  not  dress  squabs  for  market. 

PROFIT  OF  $3.55  A  YEAR  A  PAIR  ON 
HOMERS,  by  R.  L.  Chipman.  I  find  the  total 
cost  of  keeping  a  pair  of  breeding  pigeons  per 
year  (here  in  the  State  of  Washington)  to  be 
between  $1  and  $1.25  according  to  the  grains 
used.  The  production  per  pair  of  sixteen 
squabs  per  year  if  sold  at  thirty  cents  apiece 


APPENDIX   G 


411 


would  leave  a  net  profit  of  $3.55  per  pair  per 
year.  These  figures  are  not  theoretical  by  any 
means,  for  this  income  is  being  derived  from 
squab  plants  which  are  carried  on  in  a  successful 
manner.  The  breeding  birds  are  constant  and 
vigorous  workers  from  the  age  of  six  months  to 
twelve  years,  producing  fat,  juicy  squabs  all 
this  time.  This  is  surely  three  times  as  long 
as  any  chicken  can  be  said  to  be  profitable  and 
you  do  not  need  the  infusion  of  new  blood  every 
year  as  is  the  case  with  chickens. 

HOW  SQUABS  MADE  A  SICK  WOMAN 
WELL,  By  Mrs.  H.  F.  Maxwell.  One  year  ago 
I  ordered  six  pairs  of  extra  Plymouth  Rock 
Homers,  and  it  has  been  a  delight  for  me  to 
watch  them  multiply.  I  have  nearly  two  hun- 
dred now.  My  birds  are  remarkable  breeders. 
I  have  six  or  seven  pairs  which  lay  three  or  four 
eggs  and  hatch  and  raise  three  of  them.  I  have 
never  lost  a  single  grown  bird,  and  only  a  few 
squabs.  The  work  is  all  a  pleasure  to  me, 
even  the  cleaning  of  the  houses,  for  I  do  it  all. 
This  fall  I  shall  begin  to  market  my  squabs. 
There  is  a  splendid  market  here  (Florida)  with 
good  prices,  and  I  do  wish  a  number  of  people 
would  go  into  the  business  on  a  large  scale. 
Florida  is  an  ideal  place  to  raise  pigeons,  since 
we  have  no  cold,  icy  winter  to  contend  with. 
My  houses  are  built  with  open  fronts  and  the 
birds  seem  well  contented.  I  have  cement 
bath  pans  in  the  flying  pens  and  use  self-feeders 
in  the  houses.  A  friend  of  mine  called  on  me, 
and  I  told  her  I  was  raising  pigeons.  She  said, 
"  Why,  we  tried  that  ana  they  all  died  with 
bowel  trouble."  I  took  her  out  to  the  cotes 
and  showed  her  how  I  feed  and  care  for  them. 
She  said,  "  Oh!  we  just  threw  the  feed  on  the 
ground."  I  told  her  that  was  the  reason  they 
died,  from  damp  and  sprouted  feed.  She  was 
delighted  with  my  birds  and  wants  to  try  again 
to  raise  them.  I  told  her  they  were  a  great 
pleasure  to  me  and  had  helped  me  to  regain  my 
health,  so  I  felt  they  were  a  good  investment  if 
they  never  brought  in  any  money.  I  do  not 
intend  to  be  satisfied  with  less  than  a  thousand 
pairs.  They  will  bring  me  a  good  income. 

I  am  also  raising  Indian  Runner  ducks  and 
they  are  very  interesting.  Oh!  if  I  only  could 
convince  more  women  that  it  is  an  ideal  busi- 
ness for  women,  so  much  easier  than  working 
in  the  city  on  a  salary,  where  you  are  in  a  close 
house  all  day,  I  believe  more  would  take  up 
this  work.  My  friends  laugh  and  call  me  a 
crank  on  the  subject,  but  I  cannot  help  telling 
others  how  interesting  it  is.  I  am  in  splendid 
health,  whereas  two  years  ago  I  was  an  invalid. 
That  is  what  it  has  done  for  me. 

HOW  I  SAVE  MONEY  BY  FEEDING 
BREAD,  by  Charlton  Green.  I  have  been 
feeding  bakers'  discarded  bread  to  a  pen  of 
eight  pairs  of  breeders  and  eleven  squabs,  most 
of  which  are  just  learning  to  eat.  The  bread 
can  be  fed  crushed  dry  or  moistened.  The 
pigeons  like  clean  bread  and  white  bread  better 
than  rye  bread.  Besides  bread,  I  feed  about 
half  a  pound  of  Indian  corn  each  day.  I  find 
the  bread  an  excellent  feed  for  squabs  that  are 


just  out  of  the  nest.  They  learn  to  eat  it  much 
quicker  and  easier  than  they  do  grain.  I  have 
noticed  squabs  in  nests  with  it  also.  I  believe 
it  is  as  good  for  squabs  in  nest  as  it  is  for  the 
older  squabs  or  youngsters.  I  don't  believe  a 
better  feed  could  be  fed  to  youngsters.  The 
bread  costs  me  one  cent  a  loaf,  or  from  $1  to 
$1.10  per  100  pounds. 

SOY  BEANS  FOR  PIGEONS.  Spy  beans 
are  a  Canada  peas  substitute.  A  region  of  the 
world  where  the  bean  is  indigenous,  and  where 
it  has  been  a  staple  commodity  of  diet  for 
centuries,  is  Asia,  conspicuously  India,  China 
and  Japan.  Until  a  comparatively  recent  date 
native  consumption  has  kept  pace  with  pro- 
duction and  there  has  not  been  much  export 
trade.  But  with  recent  development  of  Man- 
churia the  soy  bean  crop  has  come  to  have  a 
bulk  and  value  that  is  astounding,  the  demand 
from  Europe  and  Japan  steadily  growing,  so 
that  the  latest  reports  of  shipment  from  Darien 
(formerly  Dalny)  and  Vladivostok  indicate  that 
the  Manchurian  farmers  are  now  raising  an- 
nually about  1,800,000  tons  of  the  beans  and 
beancake.  The  soy  bean  flourishes  well  in  the 
climate  and  on  the  soil  of  north  Asia,  and 
Russia  as  well  as  China  and  Japan  stands  to 
gain  much  by  the  value  of  the  salable  crops 
hereafter  to  come  from  the  lands  they  own  or 
control.  European  nations  are  finding  that 
the  oil  from  the  bean  has  a  variety  of  uses, 
edible  as  well  as  lubricating;  that  the  flour  can 
be  used  with  wheat  and  rye  to  make  bread :  and 
that  the  beancake  is  admirable  as  food  for 
cattle.  Japanese  capital  and  managers  are 
profiting  by  the  sudden  and  yet  substantial 
expansion  of  this  Manchurian  export  trade 
through  their  wise  administration  of  the  port 
of  Darien  and  the  trading  enterprises  which 
they  carry  on  in  the  zone  along  the  railway  that 
they  control.  Japanese  in  Japan  also  are 
profiting  by  the  new  and  inexpensive  form  of 
food  supply;  there  the  spy  bean  provides  much 
for  a  people  not  over  rich  in  foods  and  taxed 
at  present  to  a  point  that  only  a  people  as 
loyal  as  the  Japanese  would  bear  long  without 
complaint.  Soy  beans  are  exceedingly  rich  in 
protein. 

WHY  THE  BREEDING  OF  MONGRELS 
FAILS,  by  Charles  Darwin.  Pigeons  with 
feathered  feet  have  skin  between  their  outer 
toes.  Pigeons  with  short  beaks  have  small 
feet,  and  those  with  long  beaks  large  feet. 
Hence  if  man  goes  on  selecting,  and  thus 
augmenting,  any  pecularity,  he  will  almost 
certainly  modify  unintentionally  other  parts  of 
the  structure,  owing  to  the  mysterious  laws  of 
correlation. 

Having  kept  nearly  all  the  English  breeds 
of  the  fowl  alive,  having  bred  and  crossed 
them,  and  examined  their  skeletons,  it  appears 
to  me  almost  certain  that  all  are  the  descend- 
ants of  the  wild  Indian  fowl,  gallus  bankiva; 
and  this  is  the  conclusion  of  Mr.  Blyth  and 
of  others  who  have  studied  this  bird  in  India. 
In  regard  to  ducks  and  rabbits,  some  breeds 
of  which  differ  much  from  each  other,  the 


412 


APPENDIX   G 


evidence  is  clear  that  they  are  all  descended 
from  the  common  wild  duck  and  rabbit. 

The  possibility  of  making  distinct  races  by 
crossing  has  been  greatly  exaggerated.  Many 
cases  are  on  record,  showing  that  a  race  may 
be  modified  by  occasional  crosses,  if  aided  by 
the  careful  selection  of  the  individuals  which 
present  the  desired  character;  but  to  obtain 
a  race  intermediate  between  two  quite  distinct 
races  would  be  very  difficult.  Sir  J.  Sebright 
expressly  experimented  with  this  object,  and 
failed.  The  offspring  from  the  first  cross 
between  two  pure  breeds  is  tolerably  and  some- 
times (as  I  have  found  with  pigeons)  quite 
uniform  in  character,  and  everything  seems 
simple  enough;  but  when  these  mongrels  are 
crossed  one  •with  another  for  several  generations, 
hardly  two  of  them  are  alike,  and  then  the  difficulty 
of  the  task  becomes  manifest. 

Believing  that  it  is  always  best  to  study 
some  special  group,  I  have,  after  deliberation, 
taken  up  domestic  pigeons.  I  have  kept  every 
breed  which  I  could  purchase  or  obtain,  and 
have  been  most  kindly  favored  with  skins 
from  several  quarters  of  the  world,  more 
especially  by  the  Hon.  W.  Elliot  from  India, 
and  by  the  Hon.  C.  Murray  from  Persia. 
Many  treatises  in  different  languages  have 
been  published  on  pigeons,  and  some  of  them 
are  very  important,  as  being  of  considerable 
antiquity.  I  have  associated  with  several 
eminent  fanciers,  and  have  been  permitted  to 
join  two  of  the  London  pigeon  clubs.  The 
diversity  of  the  breeds  is  something  astonishing. 
Compare  the  English  Carrier  and  the  short- 
faced  Tumbler,  and  see  the  wonderful  differ- 
ence in  their  beaks,  entailing  corresponding 
differences  in  their  skulls.  The  Carrier,  more 
especially  the  male  bird,  is  also  remarkable 
from  the  wonderful  development  of  the  carun- 
culated  skin  about  the  head;  and  this  is  ac- 
companied by  greatly  elongated  eyelids,  very 
large  external  orifices  to  the  nostrils  and  a 
wide  gape  of  mouth.  The  short-faced  Tumbler 
has  a  beak  in  outline  almost  like  that  of  a 
finch;  and  the  common  Tumbler  has  the  sin- 
gular inherited  habit  of  flying  at  a  great  height 
in  a  compact  flock  and  tumbling  in  the  air 
head  over  heels.  The  Runt  is  a  bird  of  fcreat 
size,  with  long  massive  beak  and  large  feet; 
some  of  the  sub-breeds  of  Runts  have  very 
long  necks,  others  very  long  wings  and  tails, 
others  singularly  short  tails.  The  Barb  is 
allied  to  the  Carrier,  but,  instead  of  a  long  beak, 
has  a  very  short  and  broad  one.  The  Pouter 
has  a  much  elongated  body,  wings  and  legs; 
and  its  enormously  developed  crop,  which  it 

and  even  laughter.  The  Turbit  has  a  short  and 
conical  beak,  with  a  line  of  reversed  feathers 
down  the  breast;  and  it  has  the  habit  of  con- 
tinually expanding,  slightly,  the  upper  part 
of  the  oesophagus.  The  Jacobin  has  the 
feathers  so  much  reversed  along  the  back  of 
the  neck  that  they  form  a  hood ;  and  it  has, 
proportionally  to  its  size,  elongated  wing  and 
tail  feathers.  The  Trumpeter  and  Laugher, 
as  their  names  express,  utter  a  very  different 
coo  from  the  other  breeds.  The  Fantail  has 


thirty  or  even  forty  tail-feathers,  instead  of 
twelve  or  fourteen  —  the  normal  number  in 
all  the  members  of  the  great  pigeon  family. 
These  feathers  are  kept  expanded  and  are 
carried  so  erect  that  in  good  birds  the  head 
and  tail  touch:  the  oil-gland  is  quite  aborted. 
Several  other  less  distinct  breeds  might  be 
specified. 

In  the  skeletons  of  the  several  breeds,  the 
development  of  the  bones  of  the  face  in  length 
and  breadth  and  curvature  differs  enormously. 
The  shape,  as  well  as  the  breadth  and  length 
of  the  ramus  of  the  lower  jaw,  varies  in  a 
highly  remarkable  manner.  The  caudal  and 
sacral  vertebra  vary  in  number;  as  does  the 
number  of  the  ribs,  together  with  their  relative 
breadth  and  the  presence  of  processes.  The 
size  and  shape  of  the  apertures  in  the  sternum 
are  highly  variable;  so  is  the  degree  of  diver- 
gence and  relative  size  of  the  two  arms  of  the 
furcula.  The  proportional  width  of  the  gape 
of  mouth,  the  proportional  length  of  the  eye- 
lids, of  the  orifice  of  the  nostrils,  of  the  tongue 
(not  always  in  strict  correlation  with  the  length 
of  beak),  the  size  of  the  crop  and  the  upper  part 
of  the  oesophagus;  the  development  and 
abortion  of  the  oil-gland;  the  number  of  the 
primary  wing  and  caudal  feathers;  the  relative 
length  of  the  wing  and  tail  to  each  other  and  to 
the  body;  the  relative  length  of  the  leg  and  foot; 
the  number  of  scutellse  on  the  toes,  the  develop- 
ment of  skin  between  the  toes,  are  all  points 
of  structure  which  are  variable.  The  period 
at  which  the  perfect  olumage  is  acquired  varies, 
as  does  the  state  of  the  down  with  which  the 
nestling  birds  are  clothed  when  hatched.  The 
shape  and  size  of  the  eggs  vary.  The  manner 
of  flight,  and  in  some  breeds  the  voice  and  dis- 
position, differ  remarkably.  Lastly,  in  certain 
breeds,  the  males  and  females  hare  come  to  differ 
in  a  slight  degree  from  each  other. 

Altogether  at  least  a  score  of  pigeons  might 
be  chosen,  which,  if  shown  to  an  ornithologist, 
and  he  were  told  that  they  were  wild  birds, 
would  certainly  be  ranked  by  him  as  well- 
defined  species.  Moreover,  I  do  not  believe 
that  any  ornithologist  would  in  this  cnse  place 
the  English  Carrier,  the  short-faced  Tumbler, 
the  Runt,  the  Barb,  Pouter  and  Fantail  in 
the  same  genus;  more  especially  as  in  each  of 
these  breeds  several  truly-inherited  sub-breeds, 
or  species,  as  he  would  call  them,  could  be 
shown  him. 

Great  as  are  the  differences  between  the 
breeds  of  the  pigeon,  I  am  fully  convinced  that 
the  common  opinion  of  naturalists  is  correct, 
namely,  that  all  are  descended  from  the  rock- 
Pigeon  (.columba  Una),  including  under  this 
term  several  geographical  races  or  sub-species 
which  differ  from  each  other  in  the  most 
trifling  respects.  As  several  of  the  reasons 
which  have  led  me  to  this  belief  are  in  some 
degree  applicable  in  other  cases,  I  will  here 
briefly  give  them.  If  the  several  breeds  are 
not  varieties,  and  have  not  proceeded  from 
the  rock-pigeon,  they  must  have  descended 
from  at  least  seven  or  eight  aboriginal  stocks 
for  it  is  impossible  to  make  the  present  domestic 
breeds  by  the  crossing  of  any  lesser  number: 


APPENDIX   G 


413 


how,  for  instance,  could  a  Pouter  be  produced 
by  crossing  two  breeds  unless  one  of  the  parent 
stock  possessed  the  characteristic  enormous 
crop?  The  supposed  aboriginal  stocks  must 
all  have  been  rock-pigeons,  that  is,  they  did 
not  breed  or  willingly  perch  on  trees.  But 
besides  columba  livia,  with  its  geographical 
sub-species,  only  two  or  three  other  species 
of  rock-pigeons  are  known;  and  these  have 
not  any  of  the  characteristics  of  the  domestic 
breeds.  Hence  the  supposed  aboriginal  stocks 
must  either  still  exist  in  the  countries  where 
they  were  originally  domesticated,  and  yet 
be  unknown  to  ornithologists — and  this, 
considering  their  size,  habits,  and  remark- 
able characters,  seems  improbable — or  they 
must  have  become  extinct  in  the  wild  state. 
But  birds  breeding  on  precipices,  and  good 
fliers,  are  unlikely  to  be  exterminated;  and 
the  common  rock-pigeon,  which  has  the  same 
habits  with  the  domestic  breeds,  has  not  been 
exterminated  even  on  several  of  the  smaller 
British  islets,  or  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean. Hence  the  supposed  extermination 
of  so  many  species  having  similar  habits  with 
the  rock-pigeon  seems  a  very  rash  assumption. 
Moreover,  the  several  above-named  domes- 
ticated breeds  have  been  transported  to  all 
parts  of  the  world,  and  therefore,  some  of  them 
must  have  been  carried  back  again  into  their 
native  country;  but  not  one  has  become 
wild  or  feral,  though  the  dovecot-pigeon, 
which  is  the  rock-pigeon  in  a  very  slightly 
altered  state,  has  become  feral  in  several 
places.  Again,  all  recent  experience  shows  that 
it  is  difficult  to  get  wild  animals  to  breed 
freely  under  domestication ;  yet,  on  the  hypothe- 
sis of  the  multiple  origin  of  our  pigeons,  it 
must  be  assumed  that  at  least  seven  or  eight 
species  were  so  thoroughly  domesticated  in 
ancient  times  by  half-civilized  man  as  to  be 
quite  prolific  under  confinement. 

An  argument  of  great  weight,  and  applicable 
in  several  other  cases,  is  that  the  above- 
specified  breeds,  though  agreeing  generally  with 
the  wild  rock-pigeon  in  constitution,  habits, 
voice,  coloring,  and  in  most  parts  of  their 
structure,  yet  are  certainly  highly  abnormal  in 
other  parts;  we  may  look  in  vain  through  the 
whole  great  family  of  columbidce  for  a  beak 
like  that  of  the  English  Carrier,  or  that  of 
the  short-faced  Tumbler,  or  Barb;  for  reversed 
feathers  like  those  of  the  Jacobin;  for  a  crop 
like  that  of  the  Pouter;  for  tail-feathers  like 
those  of  the  Fantail.  Hence  it  must  be 
assumed  not  only  that  half-civilized  man  suc- 
ceeded in  thoroughly  domesticating  several 
species,  but  that  he  intentionally  or  by  chance 
picked  out  extraordinarily  abnormal  species; 
and  further,  that  these  very  species  have  since 
all  become  extinct  or  unknown.  So  many 
strange  contingencies  are  improbable  in  the 
highest  degree. 

THE  LAWS  OR  PRINCIPLES  OF  BREED- 
ING, by  Jas.  P.  Kinnard.  The  breeding  of 
pigeons,  like  everything  in  nature,  is  governed 
by  certain  laws  or  principles,  several  of  which 
are  well  recognized,  and  there .  are  doubtless 


others  not  yet  discovered.  Some  of  the 
principles  of  breeding  have  been  discovered 
and  recognized  for  ages,  and  being  now  well 
known,  enable  the  breeder  to  prosecute  his 
work  with  a  reasonable  degree  of  success. 

There  are  three  well-recognized  funda- 
mental laws  or  principles  of  breeding:  1.  The 
principle  of  "like  begets  like  ";  2.  The  prin- 
ciple of  "variation";  and  3.  The  principle  of 
"  atavism." 

Like  begets  like,  the  first  great  law  of  breed- 
ing, enables  the  breeder  to  attain  success,  be- 
cause it  is  this  principle  of  breeding  that  causes 
a  Homer  to  produce  a  Homer,  a  Carneau  to 
produce  a  Carneau,  a  red  bird  to  produce  a 
red  bird,  and  a  large  bird  to  produce  a  large 
bird;  and  thus  enables  a  breeder  to  know 
with  some  degree  of  certainty,  when  he  selects 
his  parent  stock,  what  kind  of  young  they  will 
produce. 

The  principle  like  begets  like  is  more  or  less 
modified  or  interfered  with  by  the  other  two 
principles,  and  it  is  also  assisted  or  interfered 
with  by  another  principle  of  breeding  known 
as  prepotency,  which  is  really  a  sub-principle 
of  like  begets  like. 

Variation  is  that  principle  of  breeding  which 
has  a  tendency  to  cause  the  form,  color,  etc., 
of  the  young  to  differ  from  that  of  the  parent 
stock. 

Atavism  is  that  principle  of  breeding  which 
has  a  tendency  to  cause  the  offspring  to  breed 
back  (it  is  called)  to  one  or  more  ancestors, 
sometimes  even  very  remote. 

The  degree  of  strength  by  which  the  prin- 
ciple of  like  begets  like  operates,  is  somewhat 
governed  or  controlled  by  another  law  of 
breeding  known  as  prepotency,  that  is,  the 
power  of  imparting  the  quality  of  the  parent 
stock  upon  the  young.  To  illustrate,  a  solid 
red  Carneau  that  has  been  produced  from  a 
long  line  of  solid  red  Carneaux,  by  careful 
selection  and  breeding  is  more  prepotent  and 
can  be  depended  upon  with  a  greater  degree  of 
certainty  to  impart  its  solid  red  color  and 
other  good  qualities  upon  its  squabs  than  a  red 
cross  between  a  Carneau  and  a  Homer.  Hence 
it  is  better  to  breed  pure-bred  stock  that  has 
been  bred  for  a  long  number  of  generations 
by  a  breeder  or  breeders  who  possess  the 
requisite  skill  and  knowledge  of  the  principles 
of  breeding;  for  good  results  are  more  certain 
of  attainment  than  when  mongrels  or  crosses 
are  used. 

The  second  great  law  or  principle  of  breed- 
ing, variation,  more  or  less  modifies  and  inter- 
feres with  the  law  of  like  begets  like  and  makes 
the  life  of  the  breeder  miserable,  as  it  were,  for 
it  causes  the  qualities  of  the  offspring  to  vary, 
sometimes  widely,  from  those  of  the  parents. 
It  is  only  by  the  most  careful,  skilful,  and  per- 
sistent system  of  selecting  the  best  specimens, 
possessing  the  most  desirable  qualities,  and 
rigidly  eliminating  or  culling  out  all  undesir- 
able specimens,  that  enables  the  first  law,  like 
begets  like,  to  work  in  harmony  with  the  third 
law,  atavism,  and  thus  overcome  to  a  great 
extent  the  evils  of  the  second  law,  variation; 
thus  giving  the  skilful,  intelligent  breeder  a 


414 


APPENDIX    G 


decided  advantage  over  the  haphazard,  thought- 
less breeder. 

It  is  not  my  intention  in  this  article  to  discuss 
in  detail  these  principles  of  breeding,  because 
of  lack  of  space,  but  I  may  do  so  in  future 
articles;  but  it  is  my  purpose  here  to  call  the 
attention  of  the  reader  to  the  great,  funda- 
mental laws  of  breeding  and  cause  him  to 
think  and  consider  whether  to  secure  the  best 
results,  even  the  breeding  of  pigeons  requires 
careful  thought  and  study  as  well  as  practical 
experience. 

I  merely  wish  to  mention  two  matters  in 
conclusion  that  I  will  not  have  time  in  this 
article  to  elaborate: 

1.  That  the  haphazard  cross-breeding  of 
pigeons  is  not  nearly  so  likely  to  produce 
pigeons  of  high  quality  as  a  systematic  course 
of  breeding  thoroughbreds  that  have  had  their 
excellent  qualities  impressed  upon  them  by 
generations  of  careful  breeding,  and  a  careful 
selection  for  breeding  stock  of  those  only  that 
possess  in  a  high  degree  the  qualities  desired, 
as  in  utility  pigeons  —  size,  quality,  and  color 
of  the  meat,  and  prolificness,  while  at  the  same 
time  being  attractive  in  appearance.  2.  There 
is  nothing  in  the  assertion  made  by  some  that 
there  is  a  principle  of  breeding  which  causes 
the  squab  to  take  its  color  from  the  cock  and 
its  shape  and  size  from  the  hen,  though  it  is 
contended  for  by  some  breeders  and  writers. 
My  contention,  which  is  sustained  by  the  ex- 
perience of  the  best  known  breeders  of  live- 
stock, poultry,  and  pigeons,  is  that  there  is 
no  law  of  sex  controlling  any  certain  qualities, 
but  that  the  cock  and  hen  have  an  equal 
tendency  to  impart  all  their  qualities  upon  their 
squabs,  strengthened  or  weakened  by  the 
prepotency  or  want  of  it  in  each.  I  may 
discuss  this  question  further  in  a  future  article. 

The  object  of  this  article  is  not  to  arouse 
controversy,  but  to  offer  some  suggestions  in 
order  to  arouse  the  young  breeder  to  endeavor 
by  careful  thought,  study,  and  practice  to 
breed  better  birds  than  he  is  now  breeding. 

WHAT  TO  EXPECT  WHEN  BREEDING 
SQUABS,  by  Judge  Ocie  Speer.  Most  people 
who  have  owned  a  dozen  pigeons  stand  ready 
at  a  moment's  notice  to  give  all  sorts  of  advice 
about  the  pigeon  business,  and  I  want  to 
exercise  that  privilege  at  this  time, —  possibly 
to  the  profit  of  some  beginner. 

First,  one  should  not  expect  to  breed  twelve 
rs  of  squabs  a  year,  from  each  pair  of  birds. 
to  one  but  a  Micawber  expects  every  lot  in 
the  block  to  be  a  corner  lot,  and  none  but  the 
most  delectable  optimist  numbers  his  pro- 
spective herd  by  calculating  every  calf  a  heifer. 
It  is  not  safe  to  buy  your  seed  stock  of  any 
breed,  however  prolific,  and  count  in  advance 
that  you  will  certainly  get  twelve  pairs  of 
squabs  from  each  mated  pair,  the  first  year,  and 
that  all  youngsters  will  live,  mate  at  four 
months,  and  repeat  the  process  of  producing 
twelve  pairs  of  squabs  every  twelve  months. 
In  the  first  place,  if  such  figures  "  panned 
out  "  (that  isn't  a  good  figure,  I  mean  "  hatched 
out "),  everybody  would  go  into  the  pigeon 


fif 


business,  and  ft  ere  wouldn't  be  room  for  the 
birds  raised.  1  urthermpre,  there  would  be 
no  glory  in  achie  ing  a  thing  so  easy  to  be  done. 
Pigeons  won't  i.  icrease  that  fast,  with  any 
amount  of  care.  Don't  be  foolish  and  expect 
it.  If  you  get  e\  fht  pairs  of  squabs  a  year, 
and  have  parent  pairs  enough,  you  stand  a 
good  chance  to  get  rich. 

Second,  one  shou'd  not  expect  to  raise  every 
squab  that  is  hatcht.i.  I  have  tried  chickens 
and  they  are  the  best  diers  I  ever  saw.  Mor- 
tality tables,  if  they  were  kept  for  chickens, 
would  read  something  like  this: 

STANDARD   MORTALITY    TABLE  SHOWING   LIFE 
EXPECTANCY  OF   CHICKENS 

At  pipping  time Nil. 

At  hatching  time Too  early  to  estimate. 

One  day  old .  .  One  chance  in  a  thousand  to  sur- 
vive. 
One  week  old. . .  .One  day  (if  not  too  hot  or  too 

cold). 

One  month  old ....  One  week  (if  no  sign  of  sick- 
ness). 

Now,  every  one  who  has  tried  both,  knows 
that  pigeons  are  more  healthy  and  easier  to 
raise  than  chickens,  yet  squabs  can  die,  and  do 
die.  The  breeder  is  lucky  if,  with  the  best 
care,  he  raises  to  full  maturity,  ninety  per  cent 
of  the  squabs  hatched.  He  ought  not  to  raise 
less  than  seventy-five  per  cent.  If  he  raises 
only  fifty  per  cent,  his  business  may  yet  be 
profitable,  since,  squabs,  like  the  good,  die 
early,  and  their  keep  has  been  inconsiderable, 
and  the  parent  pair  "  get  busy  "  again. 

Next,  one  should  not  get  discouraged  loo  early, 
nor  at  all.  There  is  no  royal  road  to  wealth; 
not  even  the  pigeon  fancier  is  borne  "on 
flowery  beds  of  ease  "  to  that  earthly  haven  of 
"  peace  and  plenty."  Everything  worth  ac- 
complishing requires  an  effort,  and  an  intel- 
ligent effort  at  that.  Experience  proves  that 
pigeon  breeding  is  not  only  a  pleasant  occupa- 
tion, but  a  profitable  one.  The  business  can 
be  made  a  "  go,"  even  under  unfavorable  con- 
ditions, and  knowing  this,  the  beginner  must 
acknowledge  no  such  word  as  quit. 

But  enough  of  advice.  I  shall  now  tell  you 
some  other  things  either  interesting  or  helpful . 

Item  number  one.  One  of  my  fine  Car- 
neau  hens  accidentally  broke  her  egg.  I  don't 
mean  it  was  broken  on  the  floor  and  the  con- 
tents spattered  about,  but  the  outer  shell  was 
broken  in  a  place  as  large  as  a  pea.  I  care- 
fully sealed  up  the  break  with  a  little  plaster, 
commercially  known  as  Cementium,  and  re- 
placed the  egg  in  the  nest.  It  hatched  on 
time,  and  the  pigeon  is  now  mated  and  working 
in  my  loft  of  solid  reds.  I  have  repeated  this 
many  times. 

Item  number  two.  I  have  a  pair  of  birds 
that  have  been  nesting  and  laying  for  some 
time,  but  that  is  all  they  do.  Try  as  I  may,  I 
have  never  been  able  to  induce  madame  to 
sit  a  single  day.  She  lays  every  ten  days.  I 
shall  keep  her  to  see  how  long  she  will  continue 
to  do  so. 

Item  number  three.  I  had  a  pair  of  very 
fine  solids  reds  to  mate  and  set  up  housekeeping 
at  four  and  a  half  months  old.  Thev  were 


APPENDIX   G 


415 


slow  to  lay,  but  at  last  I  got  two  eggs  from  the 
nest.  These  were  placed  under  another  pair. 
For  four  or  five  months  thereafter,  I  never  got 
an  egg  from  them,  and  at  last  becoming 
suspicious  of  their  family  relations  I  forcibly 
separated  them,  placing  each  in  a  separate 
coop  of  youngsters.  They  are  both  now  breed- 
ing with  new  mates,  but  the  new  mates  are  both 
hens.  Oh,  yes,  the  eggs  I  got  from  the  first 
nest  were  laid  by  another  hen. 

Item  number  four.  I  have  had  a  few  cases 
of  canker  among  my  young.  I  have  tried 
kerosene  oil,  carbolic  acid,  aconite,  and  most 
everything  else  they  have  told  me,  but  the 
only  remedy  worth  while,  according  to  my 
experience,  is  a  mixture  of  mineral  red  and 
sulphur,  in  the  proportions  of  three  to  one,  in 
the  order  named.  I  pry  open  the  mouth,  pour 
in  a  quantity  of  the  dry  mixture  of  the  size  of 
a  bean.  This  tends  to  dry  up  the  cankerous 
growth,  and  enables  the  parent  birds  to  fill 
the  squab  with  grain.  I  have  saved  several 
that  were  badly  afflicted.  This  preparation 
placed  occasionally  in  the  bottom  of  feed 
troughs  is  a  good  preventative  of  the  disease. 

Item  number  five.  The  best  nesting  mate- 
rial I  have  ever  used  I  get  from  a  nearby  broom 
factory.  I  do  not  take  the  large  canes  or 
heads,  but  only  the  trimmings  from  the  finished 
tncc-m.  These  are  of  a  proper  size  and  length. 
They  t»_*  «"e  nothing,  and  are  as  good  or 
better  than  toDacco  stems.  In  warm  weather, 
I  would  mix  this  with  tobacco  stems  to  avoid 
insects.  I  have  never  seen  a  parasite  in  my 
loft. 

SQUAB  AND  CHICKEN  BREEDING  COM- 
PARED, by  Ray  C.  Brown.  Regarding  the 
squab  business  vs.  the  poultry  business,  I  will 
give  you  as  clear  a  comparison  as  possible, 
based  on  facts,  obtained  from  my  own  experi- 
ence, of  which  I  have  had  much,  in  nearly  all 
branches.  This  experience  compels  me  to 
state  that  with  a  much  smaller  capital,  much 
less  room,  less  labor  and  experience  the  squab 
business  can  be  put  on  to  a  profit-paying  basis 
much  sooner  and  with  larger  returns  from  the 
amount  invested. 

My  recommendation  to  a  person  who  is  to 
depend  on  the  business  for  an  honest  living, 
one  of  course  who  is  inexperienced  in  either  the 
squab  or  poultry  business,  but  willing  to  put 
forth  an  honest  effort,  one  who  will  lay  his 
foundation  with  quality  rather  than  quantity, 
and  take  the  advice  from  some  of  the  pioneers 
in  the  business,  is  to  invest  in  squabs,  not  dis- 
puting the  fact  that  there  is  money  in  the 
poultry  business.  There  surely  is,  but  believe 
me,  it  is  in  the  fancy  lines,  and  those  who 
derive  the  profit  are  the  experts,  ninety  per 
cent  of  whom  are  judges,  or  capable  of  judging. 
Most  of  them  are  naturally  born  judges,  the 
remaining  ten  per  cent  making  good  through 
long  experience.  Thousands  who  start  are 
compelled  to  quit  owing  to  the  lack  of  that 
necessary  experience.  Many  of  them  have 
started  later  and  made  a  success  of  squabs, 
which  is  sufficient  proof  that  here  are  quicker 
returns,  with  less  labor. 


To  back  up  some  of  the  above  statements, 
allow  me  to  mention  some  important  points 
necessary  to  make  the  poultry  business  a 
success,  including  the  various  branches  com- 
bined, where  the  greatest  possible  profit  can  be 
derived. 

You  must  be  capable  of  producing  the  high- 
scoring  and  prize-winning  specimens.  You 
must  study  the  Standard  of  Perfection,  learn 
the  requirements,  know  how  to  mate  for  re- 
sults, how  to  breed,  line-breed,  hatch,  rear  and 
condition  your  specimens. 

Then  to  prove  to  the  public  you  have  the 
quality,  you  must  show  your  birds  and  be  able 
to  win  the  blue  ribbons,  which  you  will  find  no 
cinch,  as  you  are  in  the  keenest  competition 
and  up  against  some  of  the  old  timers,  who  have 
been  there  before.  That  you  should  win  out, 
you  must  advertise.  You  most  likely  will  get 
inquiries  from  promising  customers.  Now 
conies  the  point.  You  must  know  how  to 
write  a  pulling  letter,  one  that  pulls  just  a 
little  harder  than  the  other  fellow,  who  un- 
doubtedly is  offering  something  just  as  good, 
perhaps  at  a  less  price. 

People  who  keep  from  twelve  to  fifteen  hens, 
which  can  almost  be  fed  from  the  leavings  from 
the  kitchen,  derive  the  benefit  of  a  few  fresh 
eggs  and  form  a  wrong  opinion  of  the  business, 
as  this  number  of  hens  far  from  pays  anything 
but  a  small  profit.  When  the  person  puts  in 
the  large  number  of  birds,  the  table  leavings 
fall  short  and  at  the  price  of  grain  needed  to 
produce  results,  your  birds  soon  eat  their  heads 
off,  if  selling  your  eggs  and  broilers  at  market 
prices. 

At  Etwinoma  Farms  we  of  course  sell  many 
eggs,  broilers,  roasters,  fowls,  etc.,  at  market 
prices,  but  they  are  the  culls  picked  from  our 
large  flocks,  not  worthy  as  fancy  specimens. 

Were  we  unable  to  produce  a  certain  per  cent 
of  high-scoring  birds  and  obliged  to  depend  on 
our  entire  output  at  market  value,  you  would 
soon  read  something  like  this:  the  entire  poul- 
try department  at  the  Etwinoma  Farms  has 
been  turned  into  another  squab  plant. 

The  person  who  can  write  the  check  and 
employ  an  expert  can  in  most  cases  make  a 
success  of  the  poultry  business,  depending  on 
facts,  but  the  willing  person  with  little  capital 
and  no  experience  had  better  invest  in  squabs, 
for  which  there  is  a  constant  demand  with 
much  less  competition. 

The  person  with  a  little  land  can  derive  a 
much  larger  return  from  the  squab  business 
than  from  poultry  as  the  difference  in  the  room 
required  is  much  in  favor  of  the  squab  busi- 
ness. The  squab  building,  while  much  the 
same  as  that  of  the  modern  poultry  house,  can 
be  built  at  a  much  less  figure,  as  the  poultry 
houses  must  be  tight  and  warm,  while  pigeons 
will  breed  and  rear  their  young  through  the 
coldest  months  in  winter  in  buildings  where 
most  breeds  of  poultry  would  freeze  stiff. 

A  building  required  to  accommodate  one 
hundred  and  thirty  to  two  hundred  head  of 
poultry,  depending  on  varieties,  will  accom- 
modate four  hundred  and  fifty  mated  pairs 
of  squab  breeders,  while  the  amount  of  room 


416 


APPENDIX   G 


needed  for  outer  runs  or  aviaries  is  about  one- 
quarter  to  one-tenth  the  amount  in  favor  of 
pigeons,  depending  on  whether  fowls  have  con- 
finement or  free  range. 

Pigeons  do  their  own  hatching ,  breeding  and 
rearing,  no  incubators,  brooders,  or  artificial 
heat  needed,  as  in  case  of  chickens,  because 
the  good-priced  broiler  or  bird  must  be  early 
hatched.  A  broiler  ready  to  market  weighing 
from  one  and  one-half  to  two  pounds  is  usually 
killed  at  from  nine  to  fifteen  weeks  old,  de- 
pending on  care  and  attention  while  growing, 
at  a  price  of  from  twenty-five  cents  to  thirty- 
eights  cents  per  pound,  depending  on  the  season. 
The  squabs,  at  a  price  of  from  twenty-five  cents 
to  fifty  cents  each,  are  up  in  size  at  from  twenty- 
one  to  twenty-eight  days  old,  depending  on 
feed  and  the  quality  of  parent  stock. 

Where  broilers  are  required  to  be  dry-picked, 
one  can  clean  up  about  six  squabs  to  one  of  the 
former. 

Another  great  advantage  in  favor  of  squabs 
is  that  the  only  handling  required  is  picking 
them  up  and  dressing  ready  for  market,  while 
the  chicks  require  constant  watching.  They 
are  usually  too  hot  or  too  cold,  too  wet  or  too 
dry,  too  crowded  or  too  something  all  the  time. 

A  flock  of  squab  breeders  properly  housed  is 
free  from  hawks,  skunks,  cats,  dogs  and  thieves, 
which  are  constantly  to  be  fought  while  rear- 
ing chicks. 

Squabs  properly  housed  does  not  mean  ex- 
pensive buildings  and  elaborate  fixtures. 
Build  your  squab  houses  plain  and  cheap. 
Put  the  extra  money  saved  into  the  quality  of 
stock  you  start.  Buy  the  best  and  save  money 
and  time  in  the  end. 

The  trouble  with  ninety  per  cent  of  the 
people  who  have  started  and  made  a  failure  of 
the  squab  business,  if  traced  back,  will  be 
found  to  be  cheap  foundation  stock,  which  in 
my  opinion  is  the  most  expensive  start  that 
can  be  made.  Get  the  best  or  none  at  all. 

Don't  turn  to  the  advertisements  looking  for 
something  for  nothing,  then  sit  down  and  write 
to  several  of  those  who  are  selling  out  cheap, 
and  then  spend  time  looking  over  their  answers 
several  times  to  be  sure  you  are  buying  from 
the  cheapest  offer.  Buy  the  best.  Good 
squab  breeders  are  usually  worth  the  price 
asked.  Cheap  birds  turn  out  to  be  much 
like  the  man  who  brought  home  the  hungry 
dog,  and  while  showing  his  wife  his  beautiful 
present  and  telling  her  the  beauty  of  it,  and 
that  it  was  given  to  him,  Mr.  Dog,  seeing  Miss 
Pussy  under  the  stove,  made  a  sudden  leap 
through  the  bay  window.  Down  went  cur- 
tains, plants,  cat  and  dog  down  two  blocks, 
through  the  market  window.  Doggie  not 
being  satisfied  after  killing  poor  pussy,  on  his 
way  out  carried  with  him  a  quarter  of  veal. 
Next  day  Mr.  Butcher  presented  the  man  who 
had  the  beautiful  present  a  bill  of  only  $56.31. 
After  paying  the  bill  with  a  hearty  laugh  Mr. 
Man  said:  "  Well,  I  don't  care.  The  dog 
didn't  cost  me  anything.  He  was  given  to 
me." 

Bear  well  in  mind  that  cheap  things  are 
usually  the  most  expensive  in  the  end. 


The  only  person  who  really  gives  good  things 
away  is  Santa  Claus  and  he  comes  only  once 
each  year.  Also  remember  cheap  birds  eat 
just  as  much  as  the  up-to-standard  birds.  If 
you  are  going  to  feed  anything,  feed  the  best, 
for  which  your  returns  are  sure. 

If  you  have  once  considered  the  squab  busi- 
ness and  have  been  discouraged  by  some  one 
who  has  made  a  failure,  I  would  ask  you  to 
give  it  another  thought,  take  your  advice  from 
those  who  have  made  a  success,  and  if  you  will 
start  right,  and  continue  with  proper  care,  you 
have  nothing  to  lose  and  no  limit  to  what  you 
can  make.  It  is  worth  your  while.  Try  it. 

CHARD  IS  BEST  GREEN  FOOD  FOR 
PIGEONS,  by  Ocie  Speer.  Ordinary  garden 
chard  is  the  best  pigeon  green  food  ever. 
Everybody  knows  that  in  their  state  of  liberty 
pigeons  are  constantly  picking  at  weeds  and 
grasses,  and  that  in  their  confinement  this  part 
of  their  diet  must  constantly  be  supplied  if  the 
birds  are  to  continue  in  a  state  of  good  health. 
The  avidity  with  which  a  flock  will  devour 
even  the  commonest  weeds  when  thrown 
into  their  pen  demonstrates  the  necessity  for 
supplying  such  food  in  an  intelligent  manner. 
The  change  of  diet  thus  afforded  is  a  tonic 
to  their  systems  and  is  as  important  a  part 
of  their  ration  as  grit.  We  have  all  fed  lettuce, 
mustard,  pepper  grass,  cabbage  and  pig  pursley, 
but  I  have  never  tried  anything  which  my 
birds  enjoyed  or  ate  with  such  relish  as  the 
plant  known  as  Swiss  chard. 

Swiss  chard,  or  the  white  beet,  belongs  to 
the  family  of  garden  beets,  but  the  root  is 
not  edible,  being  grown  only  for  the  tops. 
The  seed  may  be  had  of  any  seed  store.  The 
plant  is  hardy  and  very  prolific.  It  stands 
drouth  well  and  flourishes  with  an  abundance 
of  rain.  It  may  be  sown  in  the  early  spring 
and  will  supply  an  abundance  of  green  food 
until  severe  cold  and  in  this  latitude  survives 
the  ordinary  winters.  The  habit  of  the  plant 
is  erect,  with  large  leaves  having  pulpy  mid- 
ribs. These  leaves  may  be  constantly  "  bladed 
off  without  injury  to  the  plant  and  .  remain 
succulent  and  tender  throughout  the  season. 
Unlike  lettuce  and  most  other  garden  plants 
which  furnish  desirable  feed  for  the  birds, 
chard  is  in  season  about  nine  months  in  the 
year.  In  my  opinion  it  solves  the  question 
of  green  food  for  pigeons. 

In  this  connection  a  suggestion  for  planting 
will  not  be  amiss.  The  plant  is  an  ornamental 
one  and  lends  itself  easily  to  landscape  garden- 
ing. It  makes  a  pretty  bedding  plant  and  by 
a  proper  laying  out  of  the  yards  about  the 
pens  and  flies,  some  very  pleasing  effects 
could  be  obtained.  Beds  and  hedges  could 
be  set  in  such  a  way  as  to  beautify  the  premises 
and  at  the  same  time  furnish  a  constant  supply 
of  the  much-needed  salads  for  the  feathered 
pets.  Try  it  next  spring. 

I  can  sell  all  the  squabs  I  can  raise  to  the 
hospitals  for  $3.60  per  dozen,  and  at  times 
$4.50.— E.  L.  Schirm,  Georgia. 


RE3'OS*L  LIBRARY  F 


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